West Chester University Undergraduate Handbook History Department 2021-2022
1 | P a g e
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION 4
FACULTY AND STAFF 5 Staff 5 Faculty 5 Graduate Assistants 10
ACADEMICS 10 Advising 10 Degree Programs 11 GENERAL EDUCATION 17 MAJOR REQUIREMENTS 23 MINORS 25 MINOR in AMERICAN STUDIES 26 MINOR in HOLOCAUST STUDIES 28 INTERNSHIPS 30 GRADUATION 32 SCHEDULING 32 MODEL SCHEDULES 36 HISTORY DEGREE PATHS 40
HISTORY B.A. Advising Sheet: Beginning Fall 2020 44
HISTORY B.A. with Social Studies certificate Advising Sheet: Beginning Fall 2020 49
HISTORY B.A. – American Studies Concentration Advising Sheet: Beginning Fall 2020 58
COURSES FOR STUDENTS INTERESTED IN CAREERS IN PUBLIC HISTORY 63 HISTORY 63 AMERICAN STUDIES 64 Digital Humanities 64 Museum Studies 65 ANTHROPOLOGY 65 COMMUNICATION STUDIES 67
2 | P a g e
ENGLISH 67 GEOGRAPHY 67 MEDIA AND CULTURE 68
POLICIES AND PETITIONS 69 GRADE POINT AVERAGE FOR GRADUATION 69 ACADEMIC PROBATION AND DISMISSAL 69 REPEATING COURSES 69 GRADING POLICY 69 GRADE APPEALS 70 DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR 70 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY 70 WCU Undergraduate Student Academic Integrity Policy 71 TRANSFER CREDITS 72 PETITIONS 72 KEEPING RECORDS 73
Academic Opportunities for History Majors at WCU 73 INTERNSHIPS 73 RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPENSES 73 STUDY ABROAD 73 STUDENT EXCHANGE 74 SUMMER COURSES 74
Department Awards and Scholarships 74 ROBERT E. DRAYER MEMORIAL AWARD 74 ROBERT E. DRAYER PARTIAL UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS 74 ROBERT E. DRAYER BOOK SCHOLARSHIPS 74 HELEN TAPPER IVINS ’35 ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP 75 MICHAEL C. GREY AWARD 75
Extra-Curricular Opportunities 75 HISTORY CLUB 75 PHI ALPHA THETA 75 Undergraduate Committee 75 3 | P a g e
Study Skills and Help 75
WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE? Career-Related Resources and Information 76 Twardowski Career Development Center 76 Graduate School 77
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations! You have chosen to major in History, the most exciting and useful of all academic disciplines (at least your professors think so). The study of history serves intellectual, civic, and moral purposes. Intellectually, it hones the mind through the critical use of evidence and logic as we grapple with the complexities of the past. On a civic level, the study of history teaches us about the origins, evolution, and meaning of our institutions and ideals. Morally, history teaches us about the causes and consequences of human decisions and actions; it enables us to examine both the venality and virtue of humankind. History also exposes us to the wonder of the human condition, from the grand sweeping narrative to the exciting details that add spice to the story. Welcome to the journey that we shall take together down the highways and byways of the past.
This Handbook is dedicated to you, the student of history. It is your guide through the labyrinth of your degree program. Keep your Handbook throughout your association with the Department. It will help you plan your program and maintain a record of your progress toward the degree, and it even has some hints on what to do after you graduate. Reading and following its precepts does not guarantee eternal bliss; doing so, however, increases your chances of a less stressful, more successful academic experience.
We thank the Departments of Communication Studies, Management, and Psychology, all of which generously donated copies of their handbooks for use as models. Special thanks go to the thousands of students who have passed through this University as our advisees. Their comments, questions, and suggestions are the basis of this work.
This Handbook surveys the academic programs, policies and procedures in effect at the time of its revision (Spring 2014). Policies and procedures change; their interpretations change even more rapidly. For your peace of mind, obtain a copy of the University Catalog for the year in which you first matriculated. If you are a first-year student, you should have received one during Orientation. If you did not, get one from the Admissions Office at 25 University Avenue. While we have made every effort to ensure that this Handbook is in concert with the catalog, the catalog is the final authority. Teacher certification students should also keep current with pamphlets and other announcements from the College of Education.
4 | P a g e
Some prospective social studies teachers think that because they are going to teach, they are majoring in Education. Not true. The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires you to major in an academic discipline if you plan to teach. That is why your degree is a Bachelor of Arts with Elective Certification. The History Department in the College of Arts and Humanities provides 39 of the credits you will earn at West Chester. The Secondary Education Department in the College of Education and Social Work is responsible for 34 of your credits. The BA program requires more credits than a BSED offered at other PASSHE schools because you take more History credits and complete a Foreign Language requirement in addition to the Education credits. Here are the advantages, however. You are better prepared to teach history but also the other social studies disciplines. You engage in historical thinking and research, skills you want to teach to your own future students. If you change your mind about teaching, you can easily graduate with the BA and be ready for other careers or graduate programs. If you begin with the BA only and later decide you want to teach, you can easily come back for the M.Ed. program. Then you earn an advanced degree as you get certified in Social Studies. The BA gives you the most flexibility and preparation for teaching but also for many other careers.
This Handbook is constantly being revised and, we hope, improved. Your suggestions are welcomed, but remember that the University Catalog supersedes any policies found in the following pages. If you think of information that ought to be included, however, please tell the chair or assistant chair.
FACULTY AND STAFF
The History faculty is dedicated to good teaching and solid scholarship. We are anchored by the experience of the most senior members of the faculty and invigorated by fresh ideas from the newest members of the professoriate. Regular full-time members of the faculty have earned the doctorate and are actively engaged in research in their chosen areas of specialization. Get to know them. If you share an interest in a particular area of history with one of the faculty, chat with that person. We love to talk with you about our specialties. The faculty and staff of the Department are:
Staff Ms. Jean Bauer, Departmental Administrative Assistant. Office: 702 Wayne Hall. Telephone 610-436-2201.
Faculty Dr. Cecilia L. CHIEN, Professor, Ph.D., Harvard University, 1994. Office: 730 Wayne Hall. Telephone: 610-436-2995.
5 | P a g e
Dr. Chien is the Department’s East Asia specialist. Her first book, Salt and State (University of Michigan, 2004) was a study of Chinese political economy in the middle imperial period. Current research involves regional and family history in the Yangzi Delta from the 10th century on; Chinese tourism, development, and nation-building; and ancestor worship and diasporic identity today. Dr. Chien teaches the Gen Ed courses Global History since 1900 and History of Civ I; upper-division courses including Chinese Civ, Modern China, East Asia through Film, The Asian American Experience, Global Migration, and Chinese Material Culture; and graduate courses on the history and culture of East Asia. With years living in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Kyoto, she mentors students considering studying and working in Asia. She serves on the Board of the Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies.
Dr. Éric FOURNIER, Professor, Ph.D., University of California-Santa Barbara, 2008. Assistant Chairperson. Office: 715 Wayne Hall. Telephone: 610-436-2168.
Dr. Fournier joined our faculty in 2008. His research interests lie in late antiquity, especially the treatment of ecclesiastical leaders in Vandal-occupied North Africa, and he teaches courses on ancient Mediterranean history in addition to the History of Civilization surveys.
Dr. Jonathan FRIEDMAN, Professor, Ph.D., University of Maryland, 1996. Director of Graduate Holocaust and Genocide Studies Program. Office: 723 Wayne Hall. Telephone: 610-436-2362.
After spending a number of years with Steven Spielberg’s Shoa Foundation and the National Holocaust Memorial Museum, Dr. Friedman joined West Chester’s faculty in 2002 as Director of the Holocaust/Genocide Education Center. Not surprisingly, he specializes in modern German and modern Jewish history. His published work includes The Lion and the Star: Gentile-Jewish Relations in Three Hessian Communities, 1919-1945 (1998), Speaking the Unspeakable: Essays on Sexuality, Gender, and Holocaust Survivor Memory (2002), Rainbow Jews: Jews and Gay Identity in the Performing Arts (2007), the anthology Performing Difference: Representations of “the Other” in Film and Theatre (2009), and The Routledge History of the Holocaust (2012).
Dr. Brenda GAYDOSH, Professor, Ph.D., American University, 2010. Graduate Coordinator. Office: 721 Wayne Hall. Telephone: 610-436-0734.
Dr. Gaydosh is our Central European and Early Modern European specialist and our graduate coordinator. She teaches courses such as History of Germany, Genocide, Renaissance and Reformation, as well as History of Civilization surveys. Dr. Gaydosh's research interests lie in the history of the Catholic Church in 20th-century Germany. She published a biography, Bernhard Lichtenberg: Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr of the Nazi Regime, in 2017 and edited Connections: Memoirs of an American Historian in the Communist East Bloc in 2019. In addition,
6 | P a g e she is researching the life of Cardinal Alfred Bengsch, as he ministered to a split Berlin during the Cold War.
Dr. Karin E. GEDGE, Professor, Ph.D., Yale University, 1994. Secondary Education Department Office: 505 Anderson Hall. Telephone: 610-436-2971. Social Studies Coordinator
Dr. Gedge’s specialty is American antebellum history, specifically women’s history and religious history. She teaches Religion in America, Women and Gender in America, and American Education. Her Without Benefit of Clergy: Women and the Pastoral Relationship in 19th Century American Culture was published by Oxford University Press in 2003. She regularly collaborates with the Chester County History Center on publications, exhibits, programming, and National History Day. As a recent member of the Secondary Education Department, she conducts the Methods of Teaching Social Studies course and supervises student teachers. Dr. Gedge is our current Social Studies Education Coordinator and secondary advisor for Elective Certification teacher candidates.
Dr. Steve GIMBER, Associate Professor, Ph.D., American University, 2000. American Studies Coordinator Office: 719 Wayne Hall. Telephone: 610-436-2237.
Dr. Gimber’s specialty is early American history, and he teaches courses on Colonial America, Revolutionary America, and the United States surveys. Some of his scholarship can be seen on ExplorePAhistory.com. He is also the coordinator for the American Studies concentration and minor.
Dr. Wayne HANLEY, Professor, Ph.D., University of Missouri, 1998. Office: 709 Wayne Hall. Telephone: 610-436-2201 (or x-2681 or x-2290).
Dr. Hanley’s area of historical specialization is in eighteenth-century Europe in general and Revolutionary and Napoleonic France in particular. Winner of the 2001 American Historical Association’s Gutenberg-e prize for his dissertation, his The Genesis of Napoleonic Propaganda, 1796-1799, was published by Columbia University Press in 2003 as e-book and in 2005 in hardcover. He is currently working on a biography of Marshal Michel Ney, one of Napoleon's great generals.
Dr. Charles A. HARDY III, Professor, Ph.D., Temple University, 1989. History Internship Coordinator. Office: 706 Wayne Hall. Telephone: 610-436-3329.
Professor Hardy is the producer of award-winning radio and video documentaries and historical websites, including Goin’ North: Stories from the First Great Migration to Philadelphia, with Dr. Janneken Smucker, which won the American Historical Association’s 2016 Roy Rosenzweig Prize for Innovation in Digital History. Best known for his work in the field of oral history, Dr. Hardy
7 | P a g e also has served as Supervising Historian of ExplorePAhistory.com since 2003. In addition to the United States surveys, he teaches Pennsylvania history, Honors College/Department of History seminars, and Varieties of History.
Dr. Lisa A. KIRSCHENBAUM, Professor, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1993. Office: 731 Wayne Hall. Telephone: 610-436-2997.
Dr. Kirschenbaum is our specialist in Russian and Soviet history. Before arriving at West Chester, she taught at an independent school in California. She teaches courses in Russian and Soviet history, world communism, and gender and peace in addition to the second half of the world history survey. She is the author of three books: International Communism and the Spanish Civil War (Cambridge University Press, 2015), The Legacy of the Siege of Leningrad, 1941-1995: Myth, Memories, and Monuments (Cambridge University Press,, 2006), and Small Comrades: Revolutionizing Childhood in Soviet Russia (RoutledgeFalmer, 2000). Committed to bringing research into the classroom, Dr. Kirschenbaum co-authored the textbook Russia’s Long Twentieth Century: Voices, Memories, Contested Perspectives (Routledge, 2016) and translated and edited Olga Berggolts’s memoir Daytime Stars: A Poet’s Memoir of the Revolution, the Siege of Leningrad, and the Thaw (University of Wisconsin Press, 2018). Her current research focuses on Soviet American cultural relations.
Dr. Robert J. KODOSKY, Professor, Ph.D., Temple University, 2006. Department Chairperson. Office: 704 Wayne Hall. Telephone: 610-436-2201 (or x-2681 or x-2288).
Dr. Kodosky teaches courses in US diplomatic and military history. He serves as faculty advisor to the Student Veterans Group and to Phi Alpha Theta.
Dr. Anne KRULIKOWSKI, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Delaware, 2001. Office: 728 Wayne Hall. Telephone: 610-436-2255.
Dr. Krulikowski’s specialty is the built environment, material culture, and the American city and suburb. Dr. Krulikowski was the Curator of Education/Director of Docents for six years at Rockwood Museum, a historic house and estate in Wilmington, Delaware, where she created a docent training program, helped re-interpret the house tour, and developed several tours for school children, including a mechanical systems tour for science classes. She has published articles on and lectures at historical societies and to other public groups about the social and architectural history of country clubs, neighborhood grocery stores, and suburban development. Current research focuses on the local serpentine stone quarry that provided the green stone for several of the university's buildings as well as well as early 20th century automobile tourism. She teaches courses on the Gilded Age/Progressive Era, the American city, Pennsylvania history, Roadside America, and public history.
8 | P a g e
Dr. Tia MALKIN-FONTECCHIO, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Brown University, 2003. Office: 727 Wayne Hall. Telephone: 610-436-2654.
Dr. Malkin-Fontecchio’s specialty is Latin American history. Accordingly, she teaches Colonial Latin America, Modern Latin America, and electives in Latin American history, in addition to the History of Civilization surveys. Her dissertation, “Citizens or Workers? The Politics of Education in Northeast Brazil, 1959-1964,” focused on popular culture and educational reform in 1960s Brazil.
Dr. Brent RUSWICK, Professor, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 2006. Office: 718 Wayne Hall. Telephone: 610-436-2248.Dr. Ruswick is our specialist in social studies teach education. He also teaches history of science, medicine, and technology. He has published articles in The History Teacher, Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, The Indiana Magazine of History, and in December 2012 Indiana University Press published his first book, Almost Worthy: The Poor, Paupers, and the Science of Charity in America. Dr. Ruswick also teaches the Secondary Social Studies Methods course and supervises student teachers.
Mr. James SCYTHES, Assistant Professor, M.A., Villanova University, 1997. Office: 711 Wayne Hall. Telephone: 610-436-2212.
Mr. Scythes teaches survey courses in both US and world history as well as supervises student- teachers. His This Will Make a Man of Me: The Life and Letters of a Teenage Officer in the Civil War was published by Lehigh University Press in 2016. His current research project explores the lives of four men from Hurffville, NJ who fought together during the Civil War. He has also supervised student teachers.
Dr. Janneken SMUCKER, Professor, Ph.D. University of Delaware, 2010. Office: 717 Wayne Hall. Telephone: 610-436-2345.
Dr. Smucker specializes in digital and public history and material culture. She also serves as the digital editor of the Oral History Review. In the classroom, she integrates technology and the humanities, working with students to create digital projects, including the award-winning Goin’ North: Stories from the First Great Migration to Philadelphia
Dr. LaTonya THAMES-TAYLOR, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Mississippi, 2005. Office: 725 Wayne Hall. Telephone: 610-436-2970.
9 | P a g e
Dr. Thames-Taylor spent the summer of 2000 with us as a Frederick Douglass Teaching Scholar, and then joined our regular faculty in 2001. Her teaching areas include the history of the American South, Violence in America, and African-American history.
Dr. Elizabeth URBAN, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Chicago, 2012. Office: 713 Wayne Hall. Telephone: 610-436-2541.
Dr. Urban is one of the newest members of the department and serves as our specialist in the Islamic World. She research is on cultural identity of slave mothers and their children in the early Islamic period, and she teaches courses on Middle East history. She has also received her first book contract with Edinburgh University Press for Conquered Populations in Early Islam: Non- Arabs, Slaves and the Sons of Slave Mothers, which traces the journey of new Muslims as they joined the early Islamic community and articulated their identities within it.
Graduate Assistants Graduate assistants in the Department of History are available for tutoring in all history classes, but especially for the survey courses in History of Civilization and US history. If you would like to know more about the tutoring services available or to schedule a tutorial appointment, contact the graduate assistants at:
• Office: 703 Wayne Hall • Telephone: 610-436-2431
ACADEMICS This section provides an overview of the academic programs of the Department of History, including the WCU Academic Integrity Policy and General Education program. It also contains copies of the Guidance Record Sheets that you should use to record your progress toward the degree, model four-year plans for the BA and BA with teacher certification, some hints for scheduling, some opportunities for academic enrichment, and a few suggestions regarding study skills.
Advising Advising is one of the more important functions of the faculty. You will be assigned an advisor. The list is posted on the bulletin board outside the Department office in Wayne Hall. Find your name; find your advisor. You can also find your advisor listed in your mywcu portal. Go to her or his office and introduce yourself. You must contact your advisor to gain access to scheduling (or the chair or assistant chair if you cannot meet with your advisor before your scheduling date). Beyond that, your advisor is an invaluable resource who is not only happy to help you navigate past the shoals of this institution, but can also provide useful information regarding careers
10 | P a g e and/or graduate school. Finally, even though some of us are as old (or older) than your parents, we are not your parents and, at one time, were college students. If you are troubled, your advisor may be able to help or at least direct you to those who can best help you. If you have elected the social studies curriculum, you will also have an advisor in the Department of Professional and Secondary Education. Endeavor to become acquainted with that person by your junior year; you will need her or his signature on some forms. If you and your History advisor are not simpatico, ask the department chair, assistant chair or the departmental secretary to assign you to someone else. Changing advisors is not a big deal. We want you to be happy with your advisor. And don’t be hurt if you are assigned to a new advisor. Sometimes we need to level out the advising load or an advisor may be on leave for a semester or two.
Degree Programs This section may be easier to understand if you refer to the Guidance Record Sheet pertaining to your degree, following the Model schedules. If you are in the standard BA curriculum, you should utilize the form marked “GREEN” (or “SALMON” if you have an American Studies Concentration). If you have elected the teacher certification in social studies option, you should utilize the form marked “YELLOW” (in your departmental file, the forms are actually green or salmon or yellow). Incidentally, most courses are worth three credits; only some music and physical education courses are worth fewer. Hence, "three courses" usually means nine credits.
Bachelor of Arts in history The BA is the standard liberal arts degree. It prepares you for everything and nothing, all at the same time. A BA prepares you for everything by honing your abilities to find and interpret evidence and express yourself clearly. These are skills suitable to any occupation. While the degree does not bring with it any sort of professional license, it does offer a solid foundation for the law, public service, ministry, business, and further study. It also has the advantage of being among the most flexible of all curricula at West Chester University.
Bachelor of Arts in history with an American Studies Concentration American Studies emerged as an academic movement shortly after World War II. With the United States suddenly thrust upon the world stage as a relatively young leader and with growing specialization fragmenting knowledge and communication, various American scholars felt compelled to integrate information and insights from many sources in an effort to understand what was "American" about America.
The American Studies program operates on the assumption that all aspects of America's intellectual, artistic, and material culture, and its vernacular tradition as well as its cultivated tradition, are valuable sources of information and insights about American civilization. The American Studies concentration is more interdisciplinary in nature than the traditional BA in history because it draws from a number of academic disciplines covering all facets of American civilization in the pursuit of an understanding of American culture.
11 | P a g e
Bachelor of Arts in History with Elective Social Studies Teacher Certification The Pennsylvania Department of Education regularly updates the requirements for teacher education programs. The Department of History and the Department of Secondary Education regularly revise the course of study to ensure that prospective teachers meet the most current requirements for certification in Pennsylvania, as well as the standards established by the National Council for the Social Studies, while completing a BA within the usual four-year curriculum.
Some students enter the teacher preparation curriculum because they think teaching is an easy job with summers off. Family or friends convince them to get certification so they have a backup in case they can’t figure out what else to do with a History major. Time for a reality check: Teaching is very hard work and between year-round schooling and taking additional courses, you won’t have a summer vacation. No one wants a teacher who doesn’t really want to teach. If you think there is nothing else you can do with history, check the section “History Careers” on the department website. Teaching is a calling. If you are not deeply excited by the prospect of helping young people learn to do history and the social studies and become engaged citizens, you should drop the certification and switch to the standard BA program or the American Studies Concentration. But if you have that commitment, teaching is perhaps the most rewarding profession in the world. Ask us. We’re teachers.
When you complete the social studies curriculum, you will be prepared to teach social studies and be eligible for Level I teacher certification in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Every state sets its own certification requirements. We believe our program prepares you for certification in virtually all states, but before you move to another state, write to its Department of Education to ascertain the specific certification requirements in that state or visit www.uky.edu/Education/TEP/usacert.html.
Your social studies certification program is among the most rigorous in the nation. Your instructor in the Methods of Teaching Social Studies course likely holds a Ph.D. in history or American studies and has had secondary school experience. Your student-teacher supervisor will guide you in the appropriate methods, but also assist you regarding content, including specific resources appropriate to the secondary classroom.
Your program is designed to prepare you for teaching in the real world, a world in which you will probably teach United States history, world cultures/history, geography, US government, and economics. You may also teach electives in sociology or psychology or street law or consumer finance. Secondary schools emphasize the use of new technologies in the support of face-to-face and cyber learning. They seek alternatives methods of assessing students beyond the standardized test. They support the development of information literacies and civic competence. They serve English Language Learners and students with a variety of special needs. Therefore, you need coursework that will increase your knowledge of the Western and non-
12 | P a g e
Western world, of history and the social sciences. You need practice with new technologies and pedagogies.
The Professional Education Component provides the technical training you need to become an effective teacher. You should take EDP 250 (Educational Psychology) and EDA 103 (Foundations of Special Education) early, as they are foundational to many of your other education courses. EDS 306 (Field Experience) is a prerequisite for SSC 331 (Methods of Teaching Social Studies) and should be taken during the second semester of your junior year. SSC 331, in turn, should be taken the semester before you do your student-teaching. Many students find SSC 331 an intensive course; try not to schedule eighteen credits the semester in which you take it. Take your HIS 400 research seminar before SSC 331 so you have a firm grasp of the inquiry arc. Student-teaching (EDS 411/412) is a twelve-credit experience and must be the only courses you take in your last semester. By the way, since your degree is a BA in history, you may be able to apply your education courses toward a minor in Professional Education. Ask your Secondary Education advisor.
Teacher Candidacy (as of August 2015) Admission to West Chester’s History program does not guarantee admission to the teacher education program. When you have earned 48 credits (but before you have completed 60 credits), you may apply for admission to teacher candidacy. Additional requirements include: 1) a minimum 2.8 cumulative GPA, 2) completion of three credits of English composition, 3) completion of three credits of literature, 4) completion of six credits of mathematics, 5) passing tests in one of the Basic Skills testing programs recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE): PAPA, SAT, ACT, or CORE (see boxes for more information), and 6) recommendation of the Secondary Education Department. If you opt for the PAPA tests, take them early in your sophomore year. It takes at least six weeks to get the test results and you want to have them by the time you have earned 48 credits. Note: The PDE has changed these requirements several times in recent years; check with your advisor and with the College of Education and Social Work home page for updates).
Begin the process by picking up a Teacher Candidacy form in the History Department office or access the form on the College of Education and Social Work webpage. Review the form with your advisor and, if you qualify, your advisor in Secondary Education will sign it. In addition, before you can student teach, you must not only maintain the required GPA, but also complete all courses in the Professional Education Component of your curriculum (except, obviously, student-teaching) with a grade of C or higher. Incidentally, to be certified to teach, you will need a 3.0 cumulative GPA upon graduation (or exceptionally high scores on the Praxis II exam). You need to take the PRAXIS II (Comprehensive Social Studies--#5081) prior to scheduling for student-teaching.
13 | P a g e
REGISTRATION FOR BASIC SKILLS TESTING PROGRAMS + PRAXIS II (as of August 1, 2015)
To earn Teacher Candidacy, by the time you earn 60 credits, you must pass all tests in one (1) of the Basic Skills Testing programs recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. For your four (4) options, go into the WCU homepage-> Colleges-> College of Education-> PA Tests--> Basic Skills Information and Registration, or see www.wcupa.edu/_academics/coe/basicSkills.aspx
1. Option 1: PAPA (Pre-service Academic Performance Assessment): tests basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics; test dates by appointment year round; for information and registration go to http://www.pa.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/PA001_TestPage.html. 2. Option 2: SAT: tests basic skills in critical reading, writing, and mathematics; offered several times a year; for information and to register see https://sat.collegeboard.org/register 3. Option 3: ACT Plus Writing: tests basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics; offered six (6) times a year; for information and to register see www.actstudent.org/regist/ 4. Option 4: CORE (Core Academic Skills for Educators): test basic skills in reading, writing, and math; for information and to register, see https://www.ets.org/praxis/register/centers_dates/ 5. Praxis II: tests are offered seven (7) times a year (Praxis I, or Pre-Professional Skills Test [PPST] was phased out as of April 2, 2012); for information and registration for Praxis II go to: www.ets.org/praxis/register • Primary Language is not English (PLNE) accommodations available – check ETS website • Non-standard test accommodations available for documented disabilities – check ETS website
OPTIONS TO COMPLETE BASIC SKILLS TESTING & PASSING SCORES NOTE: Because test requirements and passing scores change and vary by certification areas, students are encouraged to contact the Teacher Education Center (FHG 251/610-436-0042) for more information.
(1) PAPA
Test Name Test # PAPA Qualifying Score Min. Composite Score
PAPA Reading 001 220 193
PAPA Mathematics 002 220 197
14 | P a g e
PAPA Writing 003 220 192
Alternate Qualifying Score Minimum Composite Score Total: 686 Sum of the 3 PAPA tests must total or exceed 686 with at least one score being 220+. Achieving the minimum scores in each area does not meet the PDE requirements for proficiency in the pre- professional skills.
(2) SAT Score Exception: SAT score of no less than 1500 with no individual section (Critical Reading, Writing, Mathematics) score of less than 500. NB: Highest scores can be from different test administrations.
(3) ACT Score Exception: ACT composite score of 23 shall be accompanied by a combined Reading score of 22 and Math and Writing scores of 21. NB: Candidate must meet this requirement at time of college matriculation.
(4) CORE Score Exception: CORE minimum scores (reading 156, writing 162, math 150), or composite score of 475, with all areas meeting composite minimums; choose #8033 (PDE) & #2659 (WCU) as score recipients.
(5) Mix and Match: Students may mix and match a combination of qualifying scores from both PAPA and Core Examinations as long as the appropriate minimum score is attained. The composite scoring (#1) is not allowed if this option is used.
PRAXIS II
Test Name Test Code Session Passing Score
Social Studies: Content 5081 1 157 Knowledge
PRAXIS SCORE REPORTS: • WCU score recipient code: 2659; tests taken in PA will be reported automatically to PDE (8033) • Copies of Praxis score reports will NOT be provided by WCU to students o Candidates who registered online will be able to review their score report online only. o Candidate score reports will be posted on the day that paper score reports are mailed. o Candidates will be able to review their scores for 30 days from being posted. Score reports can be downloaded and printed. There will be NO fee for this service. Candidates that register by phone or mail will continue to receive their scores via first class mail. • Raw scores for each test taken are reported only ONCE. Be sure to save individual reports for each test you take since raw scores are only available from ETS for 4 MONTHS from date of test. • Praxis score reports are essential components of student’s portfolio. SAVE them!
15 | P a g e
• As of May 1, 2008, PRAXIS scores will remain valid for 10 years.
PAPA and PRAXIS TEST PREPARATION: • Materials for the PAPA exam, including a practice examination, is available at: http://www.pa.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/PA001_PrepMaterials.html • PRAXIS II study resources are available in the Reserve Section of the library--(can be checked out from overnight to one week depending on the book) • A “Test-at-a-Glance” should be downloaded from the ETS website for each content area test.
Clearances Several of your education courses which involve observations and field experiences in Public Schools require you to have 1) PA Criminal Background Check, 2) PA Child Abuse Clearance, 3) FBI Criminal Background Check, and 4) Tuberculosis Test. You should apply for these as soon as practical (see information box below). West Chester University teacher education candidates are required by Pennsylvania law to obtain these clearances before they can participate in field-based courses or student- teaching. These clearances will need to be on file with the Office of Clinical Experiences and Candidates Services, Suite 107, Wayne Hall. https://www.wcupa.edu/education- socialWork/clearances.aspx
CRIMINAL, CHILD ABUSE, AND TB CLEARANCE INFORMATION FOR TEACHER CERTIFICATION CANDIDATES (as of January 20, 2010)
• The Act 34 Pennsylvania State Criminal History Record is required by PA law. Title 24 P.S. 1-111, as amended by Act 114 of 2006, stipulates that if a candidate is continuously enrolled in a teacher education program, the criminal history report initially submitted (prior to the first field) shall remain valid and in force during the period of enrollment. (Sources: Pennsylvania Act 34 of 1985, Pennsylvania Act 114 of 2006, PASSHE Office of Legal Counsel) • The Act 114 Federal Criminal History Record is required by PA law. Title 24 P.S. 1-111, as amended by Act 114 of 2006, stipulates that if a candidate is continuously enrolled in a teacher education program, the criminal history report initially submitted (prior to the first field) shall remain valid and in force during the period of enrollment. (Sources: Pennsylvania Act 114 of 2006, PASSHE Office of Legal Counsel)
Although there should be no need to renew these two clearances annually, the fact is that most school districts require up-to-date clearances (i.e., renewed annually). Therefore, candidates will need to renew this clearance so that it is current (less than one year old) for the entirety of each semester in which the candidate will complete a field experience.
• The Act 151 Child Abuse Background Check can be no more than one year old when a candidate enters a field placement. There is no provision for continuous enrollment. Act 151 clearances will
16 | P a g e
need to be renewed each academic year in which a candidate will enroll in an early field course or student teaching. (Source: Pennsylvania Act 151 of 1994) • ATB Test, according to the PA Department of Health, is required just once, within 3 months of first field placement. No retest is necessary during continuous enrollment in a teacher education program. ECE or EGP candidates completing early field placements in day care settings, however, need to repeat the test every two (2) years. Despite what Department of Health guidelines say, candidates preparing to student teach need to renew their TB test so it is less than one year old on their first day of student-teaching.
No WCU teacher education candidate can enter a PK-12 classroom for an early field or student- teaching placement without the appropriate background clearances. The Teacher Education Center collects all four clearances using LiveText as a part of the student teaching application.
GENERAL EDUCATION Academic Foundations The university wants you to be able to write and speak effectively, think systematically, and understand how knowledge relates across disciplines. Toward those goals, you are required to take courses in writing, speaking, mathematics, and diversity and an interdisciplinary course.
First Year Experience The First Year Experience (FYE 100) provides students with a basic platform from which they can plan their growth and development while at WCU. First Year Experience courses are offered in a variety of areas, but they share common content across all sections, including:
• An overview of the liberal arts tradition in higher education and an explanation of the structure of WCU's General Education curriculum • An introduction of the e-portfolio and its use across the undergraduate degree • Research about brain development, psychology of learning, and metacognitive, affective, and social dynamics; information intended to help students understand the learning process and the factors important to a successful college experience • An opportunity for experiential learning • Information pertaining to university policies and campus life
The First Year Experience is a four-credit requirement and applies to incoming first-year students, as well as transfer students with fewer than 24 college-level credits.
For transfer students with 24 college-level credits, the FYE requirement is waived.
The FYE requirement can be transferred in from another institution if the student took an FYE course elsewhere prior to enrolling at WCU. If a student completed a 3-credit FYE course at another institution, this course will fulfill WCU’s FYE requirement. A student that receives FYE credit for a 3-credit course will need to make up the extra credit with additional coursework. Any
17 | P a g e
FYE course from another institution that is less than 3 credits will not satisfy this General Education requirement.
Students should complete their FYE requirement during their first semester.
Students receiving a grade of C- or lower in the FYE will be provided an opportunity to further develop their mastery of course competencies via additional instruction no later than the beginning of the second subsequent regular (fall or spring) semester. The instructor of record for the additional instruction will have the ability to increase the original grade to no higher than a “C.”
English Composition Students must earn 3 credits at the Writing 200 level to fulfill the English composition general education requirement. These 3 credits can be completed via WCU coursework or via earned transfer credit. Students may need to complete prerequisite coursework prior to enrollment into a Writing 200-level course.
WCU is piloting a student-guided self-placement survey to determine the appropriate course sequence for our English Composition requirement. More information about the self-placement survey (the WRITE Survey) can be found below under English Placement. In order to fulfill the requirement, students must complete one of the following course sequences or transfer in credits that fulfill the requirement:
Course sequence A: Supplemental Workshop—7 credits toward graduation, over two semesters
• Semester 1 - WRT 123 (4 credits of writing instruction focusing on discovery, composing, revision, and genre awareness in one semester. WRT 120 plus one credit of workshop "lab" and weekly supplemental peer-mentoring.) • Semester 2 - WRT 200-level (3 credits of research writing instruction in one semester)
Course sequence B: Sequenced—6 credits toward graduation, over two semesters
• Semester 1 - WRT 120 (3 credits of writing instruction focusing on discovery, composing, revision, and genre awareness in one semester) • Semester 2 - WRT 200-level (3 credits of research writing instruction in one semester)
Course sequence C: Progressive—9 credits, 6 of which count toward graduation, over three semesters
• Semester 1 - ENG Q20 (3 credits of writing instruction focusing on writing process, confidence, and language awareness in one semester. Credits do not count for graduation but are computed in the student’s GPA). Students must pass ENG Q20 with a grade of C- or better to enroll in WRT 120. • Semester 2 - WRT 120 (3 credits of writing instruction focusing on discovery, composing, revision, and genre awareness in one semester) • Semester 3 - WRT 200-level (3 credits of research writing instruction in one semester)
18 | P a g e
Course sequence D: Advanced—3 credits toward graduation, one semester
• Semester 1 - WRT 200-level (3 credits of research writing instruction in one semester) • The WCU WRITE survey may, in exceptional circumstances, place students into the Advanced sequence if their WRITE survey scores are particularly high and if they have a minimum GPA of 3.8 and a Reading/Writing SAT of 620 or ACT English score of 28.
Students should complete their WRT coursework within their first 60 credits at WCU.
Mathematics Requirement You will likewise be placed in a mathematics course. As long as you take MAT 103 or higher, we do not care what mathematics course you take. Read the course descriptions in the catalog and decide which course you want to take. If you seek teacher certification, you must earn six credits of college-level mathematics before you can be formally admitted to the teacher education program, and MAT 104 is the recommended second course. If you have Math-phobia (if History majors were really good at math, they’d be engineers), talk to your advisor. If you are in a math course and are totally lost, talk to your advisor about dropping the course before the end of the ninth week of the semester. (See the sections on add/drop, repeating courses, and taking courses off campus.)
Interdisciplinary (“I) and Diverse Communities (“J”) Courses You must complete an Interdisciplinary course; these courses are designated by an “I” in the course schedule and are courses that approach a topic from the perspective of three or more academic disciplines. American Studies, for example, looks at what makes the United States unique from the perspective of history, literature, art, music, and architecture. An interdisciplinary ("I") course may not be used to fulfill any other General Education distributive requirement; it can only fulfill the Interdisciplinary requirement (or a major requirement—see below). Hence, BIO 102 can only be used to fulfill the Interdisciplinary Requirement and cannot be used as one of the two natural sciences required under General Education. However, "I" courses may be used to fulfill requirements of the major or a “J” (Diverse Communities) requirement. For example, HIS 308 (Introduction to the Islamic World) fulfills the Interdisciplinary requirement and can also be used to fulfill major requirements. If you are in the social studies certification program, using a history course to fulfill this requirement will also help you complete your degree in four years. See the list of approved “I” courses.
Likewise, you must also complete a three-credit “Diverse Communities” course. See the list of approved courses. They include some history courses and will include more as time goes on. If you are in teacher education program, LAN/ENG 382 (Teaching English Language Learners) will fulfill this requirement. Please note that a course may simultaneously be used to fulfill the Diverse Community and the Interdisciplinary requirements if the course is marked "I" and "J" in the course schedule unless it is used to meet a distributive education requirement—an “I” course may NEVER be used to meet a distributive education requirement.
19 | P a g e
Unlike “I” courses, Diverse Communities ("J") courses may be used to fulfill the “J” requirement and a distributive area requirement simultaneously. For example, PHI 180 may be used as both a diverse communities course and as a humanities course under the General Education Distributive. A "J" course may simultaneously fulfill a Diverse Communities requirement and a requirement under the major. For example, HIS 373 (African-American History) serves to fulfill the Diverse Communities requirement and, should you so desire, as one of your upper-level United States history courses.
Finally, if you use an "I" or "J" course to fulfill two requirements ("I" and major, for example), you must increase the number of general education free electives to show 48 credits under general education (and to meet the 120-credit requirement for graduation). This should mean moving a course from one line to another on the Guidance Record Sheet. If you can remember and understand all of the preceding, you probably deserve your degree. If you use history courses to fulfill your diverse communities and interdisciplinary requirements, you should record the course on your guidance sheet in the appropriate space both under general education and under the History Core.
Distributive Requirements The Distributive Requirements are divided into Science, Behavioral and Social Science, Humanities, and Arts. In each area, the courses you take must have different prefixes (geology and astronomy may be different disciplines, but they have the same ESS prefix; on the other hand, LIT [Literature] and CLS [Comparative Literature] both count as literature as if they had the same prefix). Be sure to consult the Undergraduate Catalog for the most updated list of courses that meet these requirements.
Science The sciences distributives are drawn from biology, chemistry, earth and space science (rocks and stars), geography, nutrition, physics, and computer science. There are also several courses with a SCI prefix. If you take a computer science course as one of your science distributives, make sure it has a CSC prefix; the basic course in computer science is CSW 101 and it does not count as a science under general education. Consult your advisor about other Science courses. They are not as scary as some folks make them out to be. Please note that courses designated with an “I” (interdisciplinary) cannot be used to satisfy your distributive requirements—NO exceptions. See the full list of approved science courses.
Behavioral and Social Science The Behavioral and Social Sciences are anthropology, economics, geography, political science, psychology, and sociology. Those pursuing social studies certification must take anthropology
20 | P a g e or sociology, economics, geography, political science, and psychology. Fulfill this six-hour requirement with psychology 100 and political science 100. Standard BA majors can take any six credits they want from the list of approved BSS general education courses, as long as they are in two disciplines. Tailor these courses to your interests. If you are more interested in political history, try some Political Science. If you are drawn toward social history, take Sociology. Geography is inextricably bound to History; a Geography course is a good idea. Please note that courses designated with an “I” (interdisciplinary) cannot be used to satisfy your distributive requirements—NO exceptions.
Humanities The Humanities consist of literature, philosophy, and history. The rule is that you must take a total of six credits in two disciplines and the credits must be from disciplines other than your major. Hence, you should choose courses outside of history, from literature, languages, linguistics, or philosophy. See the full list of approved courses. Many literature courses are Writing Emphasis (see below) and this is a good way to get one of the three writing emphasis courses you will need. Students are occasionally misled by the titles of two Literature courses: Conventions of Reading (LIT 168) is for English majors only; Historical Contexts (LIT 295) uses History as a lens in ways different from many historians, and is not approved as a general education course. Be aware, however, that upper-level courses tend to be geared toward Philosophy majors. Please note that courses designated with an “I” (interdisciplinary) cannot be used to satisfy your distributive requirements—NO exceptions.
Arts In the Arts section, you have a huge selection. You must take three credits from one of six areas: art (studio or history), cinematography (film), dance, music (performance or history), photography, and theatre. Select that which interests or intrigues you most from the list of approved courses.
Additional Baccalaureate Requirements
Speaking Emphasis Speaking Emphasis courses are designed to develop students’ oral/language-based communication skills in ways that are deemed important and desirable within a specific academic discipline or more generally across disciplines. The skills developed can range from performance-based speaker-audience interactions to one-on-one or group interactions based on the focus of the discipline. The emphasis of each course is to develop personal and professional skills to organize and synthesize ideas and communicate effectively in a meaningful way. Students must complete 9 credits of Speaking Emphasis coursework, 3 credits of which must be at the 300-400 level. For certification students, EDS 411/412 will carry 6 credits of Speaking Emphasis credit. See the full list of approved courses.
21 | P a g e
NOTE: A Speaking Emphasis designation may only transfer into WCU if the course from a student's prior institution has been submitted to and approved by the Speaking Emphasis Committee of the Curriculum and Academic Policies Council (CAPC). To receive credit for this type of course, students must submit a Course Substitution Request to the Office of the Special Assistant for Academic Policy.
All transfer students who enter with fewer than 40 college-level credits must complete 9 credits of Speaking Emphasis coursework. Transfer students who enter with 40-70 college-level credits, must take at least 6 credits of Speaking Emphasis coursework. Students who transfer more than 70 college-level credits must take at least 3 credits of Speaking Emphasis coursework at the 300- 400 level.
Ethics Requirement Ethics courses provide opportunities for students to engage in activities that encourage them to problem-see and problem-solve with an ethical lens; they expose students to discipline- specific (or general theoretical) ways to use ethical frameworks for ethical decision-making.
Students must earn 3 credits of Ethics coursework.
NOTE: An Ethics designation may only transfer into WCU if the course from a student's prior institution has been submitted to and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Curriculum and Academic Policies Council (CAPC). To receive credit for this type of course, students must submit a Course Substitution Request to the Office of the Special Assistant for Academic Policy.
An Ethics course may simultaneously fulfill another degree requirement or distributive requirement in the General Education curriculum.
Writing Emphasis Requirement Because writing is essential to success, you must take Writing Emphasis courses. These are courses in which you will do more writing than usual because they use writing exercises as an integral part of the learning process. Because of that, you should complete WRT 120 and WRT 2XX prior to taking a writing emphasis course. If you began your college career at West Chester, you must take three of these courses. If you transferred with 40 to 70 credits, you must take two writing emphasis courses; students who transfer in more than 70 credits must take one. These courses are marked with a “W” in the course schedule, and the full list is in the Undergraduate Catalog. At least one writing emphasis course must be at the 300 or 400 level. History majors usually fulfill most of this requirement by default. HIS 300 and HIS 400, required courses, are always designated writing emphasis. Those pursuing social studies certification will fulfill this requirement via HIS 300, HIS 400, EDS 306 and SSC 331. However, it is possible for non-certification students to miss this requirement, so keep an eye on it. Note that you will use HIS 300 and HIS 400 to fulfill both major and writing emphasis requirements. Some
22 | P a g e interdisciplinary courses are also designated writing emphasis and the possibilities they offer are discussed in the section “Tricks of the Trade: Twofers and Threefers” under Scheduling.
Foreign Language You must complete an approved foreign language through the 202 level. The approved foreign languages are American Sign Language (ASL), Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Note that you must complete a language through the 202 level. This does not mean you must start with 101. You start at your level of competence, and if you are “fluent” in a language, you can take the 202 course via credit by exam. The Department of Foreign Languages regularly administers placement tests; it has no interest in placing you in a course in which you will be bored or will fail. Take the placement test and enroll in the recommended course. If you are in the teacher certification program, taking Spanish will significantly improve your ability to work with many English language learners in surrounding school districts.
Free Electives In its beneficence, the University has decreed that you must have at least 9-12 credits of absolutely free electives. Regular BA majors have free electives coming out their ears; three or four of them will be used to fulfill this requirement. These courses are your opportunity to explore hitherto unknown disciplines. In recognition of that, the University decrees that free electives are the only courses you may take on a Pass/Fail basis (that means you don’t get a grade; you either pass or you don’t). Of course, if you have changed majors, credits from your former major will fill this space. If you have elected the teacher certification option, you have “elected” to use your “free electives” to fulfill program requirements. You will use your second math course (MAT 104, Practical Mathematics, is the recommended course), EDA 103 (Foundations of Special Education), and EDP 250 (Educational Psychology).
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS All history majors are required to complete 4 of the courses at the 100 or 200 level. One of these must be an American history (HIS 150, 151 or 152). Another must be a World history (HIS 100, 101 or 102). The other two courses are at the student’s discretion. In addition to the 100 and 200 level courses, HIS 300 is also required. HIS 101/102 is the History of Civilization sequence, covering world history (with an emphasis on Western Civilization) from the beginning of time to the present. HIS 151/152 is the survey of United States history from the pre-Columbian era to the present. You should complete your 100/200 level courses no later than the end of your sophomore year. You must also take HIS 300 (Varieties of History) which covers historical methodology and historiography. The research techniques covered in the course are important in other upper-level courses; ideally you should complete HIS 300 by the end of your sophomore year.
Beyond the history core courses, you will take twenty-four credits of 300 and 400-level courses. These are divided into a ‘primary’ and two ‘supporting’ fields. The fields include European,
23 | P a g e
United States, and World and Regional history. To ensure that you gain an appreciation of American and other cultures, you will take two upper-level courses in each of the three areas. Take a total of three courses in the primary field. Those three courses do not include the Seminar. For those pursuing a concentration in American Studies, only one course each in European and world history are needed, and two additional “American Studies” cognates replace the supporting field electives. The official courses are listed in the catalog (and copied below); if you are still unsure of the area, check with your advisor.
History Courses by Regional Category (Check catalog for new additions)
European History Courses US History Courses World/Regional History Courses
318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 329, 343, 344, 352, 356, 357, 302, 305, 306, 308, 311, 312, 324, 328, 329, 331, 332, 390, 358, 360, 361, 362, 364, 365, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 349, 398, 410, 414, 415, 416, 417, 366, 367, 368, 369, 370, 371, 375, 380, 390, 397, 407, 410, 421, 422, 423, 424, 425, 427, 373, 376, 380, 390, 399, 410, 411, 412, 415, 424, 450, 458, 428, 435, 450, 458, 460, and 413, 414, 444, 450, 451, 458, 460, and 480 480 460, 474, and 480
You should cap your undergraduate career with the senior seminar (HIS 400), a course that examines a topic in depth and stresses individual research in primary sources. You must take HIS 300 prior to taking the seminar. Ordinarily, your seminar is in your primary field, but that is not required (we try to pick seminar topics that cross over different fields). Students usually take the seminar in their senior years, but if you are attracted to a seminar in the second semester of your junior year or pursuing certification (and seats are still available), feel free to take it.
In addition to history courses, you are required to complete three cognate courses (9 credits) selected from at least two disciplines. Cognates are courses that relate to history. On the liberal arts side, Art History, Music History, Literature, and Philosophy are the most common cognate disciplines; you may, in consultation with your advisor, select other disciplines to compliment your history courses. For example, if you are concentrating in World and Regional History, courses in Anthropology may be appropriate cognates. Those seeking teacher certification will use GEO 101 or 103 (World or Human Geography), ECO or 111 or 112 (Principles of Economics, Macro Economics, and Micro Economics) and either ANT 102 (Cultural Anthropology) or SOC 100 (Introduction to Sociology) as cognates.
The rest of your guidance sheet is filled with spaces on which you should record classes you take as free electives. These courses may also be used to complete the requirements of a minor in
24 | P a g e another discipline. While you need not fill up every space, you must complete at least 120 credits to graduate. If you plan to teach on the secondary level, your free electives include ERM 355 (Assessment for Learning), EDR 347 (Literacy Development and Secondary Students in the Inclusive Classroom), EDA 304 (Special Education Processes and Procedures for Secondary Education), EDT 349 (Educational Technology), EDS 306 (General Methods and Field Experience), SSC 331 (Methods of Teaching Secondary Social Studies and Field Experience), and EDS 411/412 (Student-teaching Internship).
MINORS West Chester University does not require you to have a minor. However, if you have taken a number of courses in a discipline, why not minor in it? A minor suggests to employers that you are focused and, if you pick a minor related to a profession, your employment opportunities will improve. Discuss possible minors with your advisor and with someone in the department in which you plan to minor. Among the more common minor programs for history majors are: American Studies, African-American Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Business and Technical Writing, Digital Humanities, Economics, Foreign Language, Geography, Holocaust Studies, Journalism, Literature, Museum Studies, Music History, Philosophy, Political Science, Professional Education, Psychology, Sociology, and Women’s and Gender Studies. You may declare your minor on myWCU. Several minors available to history majors are associated with the Department of History, including American Studies and Holocaust Studies (if you are pursuing an American Studies concentration, however, you cannot simultaneously pursue a minor in that subject). The advising sheets for those minors are shown below.
25 | P a g e
MINOR in AMERICAN STUDIES Guidance Record Form
NAME:______STUDENT ID #______
Enrolled at WCU Semester___Year___ Enrolled as AmStudies Minor Semester____Year____
AMERICAN STUDIES REQUIREMENTS
Note to Students and Advisors: Student MUST maintain a minimum GPA of 2.00 in ALL courses counting toward the American Studies minor. These requirements are subject to change. In case of discrepancy, the college catalogue supersedes this form.
In the spaces below, record course title, course number, course grade, and the semester in which it was taken (ex: AMS 200 A Fall 2003 ).
AMERICAN STUDIES COURSES (6 credits): Select two American Studies courses. (Choose from the following courses AMS 200, 210, 250, 367, 371, or 399.)
American Studies Core Elective
Course Title Num. Grade Semester
______AMS ______
Course Title Num. Grade Semester
______AMS ______
US HISTORY ELECTIVE (3 credits): Select a United States History, preferably HIS 151 or 152, in consultation with minor advisor. (Choose from the following courses HIS 150, 151, 152, 329, 343, 344, 352, 356, 357, 358, 360, 361, 362, 364, 365, 366, 367, 368, 369, 370, 371, 373, 376, 380, 390, 399, 445, 458, 462, 474, or 480.)
US History Elective
26 | P a g e
Course Title Num. Grade Semester
27 | P a g e
MINOR in HOLOCAUST STUDIES Guidance Record Form
NAME:______STUDENT ID #______
Enrolled at WCU Semester___Year___ Enrolled as Holocaust Minor Semester____Year____
HOLOCAUST REQUIREMENTS
Note to Students and Advisors: Student MUST maintain a minimum GPA of 2.00 in ALL courses counting toward the Holocaust Studies minor. These requirements are subject to change. In case of discrepancy, the college catalogue supersedes this form.
In the spaces below, record course title, course number, course grade, and the semester in which it was taken (ex: HIS 332 A Fall 2003 ).
REQUIRED COURSES (9 credits): The following courses are required.
Holocaust Studies Core Elective
Course Title Num. Grade Semester
The Holocaust HIS 332 ______
Course Title Num. Grade Semester
The Jew in History HIS 349 ______
Course Title Num. Grade Semester
Ethics PHI 180 ______
HOLOCAUST-RELATED ELECTIVES (9 credits): Select three Holocaust-related courses from the following courses ANT 120, GER 221 (or EGE 222), HIS 423, LIT 304, PSC 252or 322, PSY 254, SOC 335, SSC 480, or SWO 225.
Elective
Course Title Subject Num. Grade Semester
______
28 | P a g e
______
29 | P a g e
INTERNSHIPS • An intern may earn 3 credits during a semester or summer or winter session. • 3-credit internship requires a student to perform assigned responsibilities at the cooperating internship site for no less than 133 hours. • Interns must be History majors with at least 80 earned credits and a minimum 2.75 grade point overall and in history. (The chair may make exceptions in special cases.) • Interested students should contact the department internship coordinator, Professor Charles Hardy, [email protected], one semester prior to the semester in which they wish to intern. • Students must provide the internship coordinator a sample of their best historical writing and a resume for submission to prospective cooperating internship institutions. • The coordinator will review these materials and inform students if they qualify for an internship. Students denied an internship will receive reasons for the denial from the internship coordinator and suggestions for strengthening a future application. • The internship coordinator and student will work together to decide where to seek a placement, with either the student or coordinator making the initial contact. • Interns must obtain FBI and Child Abuse Clearances before the internship can begin. In paid internships students do not need clearances. • The 12-credit Secondary Social Studies Student-Teaching is the most intensive internship experience. It is only offered in Fall and Spring sessions and is supervised by the Secondary Social Studies Coordinator and faculty instructors. Please contact the Social Studies Coordinator about the availability of funding.
Cost The tuition for an internship in both regular semesters and the summer is the same as for other 3-credit courses. Consult the bursar’s office for details.
Stipends To enable those who cannot afford the cost, the Department of History offers paid internships for a limited number of students, and $500 to students after completing their internship whose work the Department of History has deemed meritorious. Both are funded by the Dr. Robert E. Drayer Memorial Scholarship Fund. To apply for a stipend send a brief letter to the internship coordinator, before the internship begins, explaining your financial need and the nature of your internship. In it, make sure to explain:
• The nature of the internship, including the tasks upon which you will work and the skills that you will practice and learn. • How the internship prepares you for the career(s) and if applicable the educational opportunities that you are pursuing. • Your financial need. Do you have student loans? Are you paying for all or part of your college education? Would taking the internship prevent you from undertaking summer employment?
30 | P a g e
Does it place an additional financial burden on your parents that they are reluctant to undertake? Do you have a lengthy commute to the internship site?
When Drayer funds are limited, stipends will go to the students who make the strongest case for funding, so include as much detail as possible.
Why take an internship for credit rather than as a volunteer? • By taking the internship for credit the student has the opportunity to work with a department of history faculty member as well as an on-site supervisor. Your faculty internship supervisor can help you get the most out of your internship experience. • An internship for credit looks better on your resume and has more value with potential employers and graduate programs • With a Drayer stipend a 3-credit internship is cost free for in-state students.
Responsibilities: Working with a faculty internship supervisor agreed upon by the student and department internship coordinator, the student, faculty supervisor, and site supervisor will articulate internship responsibilities and activities. These may change as the internship progresses. Requirements include:
• A daily log detailing activities completed during the internship. The faculty supervisor will use this log, submitted on a schedule, to determine the intern's performance and to suggest changes to the internship assignments and responsibilities. • Consistent contact with the faculty internship supervisor, including agreement on any significant changes to internship activities or emerging problems. • Arrangement of an on-site visit by the faculty supervisor • A photograph of the student engaged in an internship activity and one paragraph summary of their internship experience for posting on the Department of History website.
Evaluation The student's grade will be based on:
• The on-site supervisor's evaluation (written or verbal) • The student's internship report, describing and evaluating the internship experience • A final project, based on the intern's work at the cooperating institution, agreed upon by the faculty supervisor and the student once the internship is underway • The internship coordinator's on-site visit • Supporting documentation, which can include materials the intern has worked on for the host institution, promotional materials for exhibits or projects to which the intern contributed, and other evidence of accomplishments.
31 | P a g e
An internship provides practical experience related to the field, academic credit, and, in some cases, an income. The Political Science Department offers a number of internships open to all majors. These include the Harrisburg semester in which you spend an entire semester doing relevant work in the state government. The Department of History sponsors a wide variety of internship at historic sites, historical societies, archives, museums, and in business. The Secondary Education Department sponsors the Student-Teaching Internship.
GRADUATION Graduation Clearance Successfully completing your courses is not the only thing you need to do to receive the degree. You must also navigate the graduation clearance process. This process begins as soon as you have earned at least 80 credits (or generally about one academic year before you plan to graduate!). To make it more efficient and ensure that you have time to correct any errors that could prevent your timely graduation, the Registrar’s Office revises the process fairly frequently. The current process can be initiated on MyWCU or in person at the Registrar’s Office. One note of caution: do not panic if the Degree Progress Report shows you have many incomplete requirements. Rather, see your advisor to discover the perceived discrepancy on the Degree Progress Report (yes, we are working on it and have been for several years) and to see what you need to do to correct the discrepancy. If the Registrar’s Office notifies you that you are missing a requirement, correct the situation as soon as possible so that you can graduate when you want to. The Registrar’s Office is the FINAL WORD, so pay attention. At the same time, your advisor will go over your major requirements with you and, after you remind her/him, make the necessary comments on the degree guidance screen. If you follow the process, you will graduate as planned with a minimum of hassle.
SCHEDULING
If you let it, scheduling can be a stressful time in the middle of the semester when you must drop everything and quickly decide what you will do the following semester or, worse, simply grab some classes so you can go through the hassle of drop/add at the start of the next semester. You can eliminate all the stress and standing in line by following some simple rules.
Choose Wisely Plan ahead and set your priorities. Look at your Guidance Record Form, your Degree Progress Report on myWCU, and the Model Curricula below to get a sense of what you need to take and when you need to take it. As you choose courses, remember that 100-and 200-level courses are generally less difficult than 300-and 400-level courses. In some departments, 400-level courses are more challenging than 300-level. That is not the case in History. History courses were
32 | P a g e numbered for a variety of reasons, some as mundane as a particular number was available when a professor proposed a new course. The professor is much more relevant in determining a course’s degree of difficulty than the course’s number. Knowing that relative difficulty is often a matter of differing teaching and learning styles, your advisor may be able to suggest professors whose teaching style matches your learning style. It absolutely is acceptable to ask the professor about the requirements of a course and her/his expectations and teaching methods. You can also examine course syllabi. They are on file in the department office or are available from professors. Or talk to your fellow students. Friendly web sites such as www.ratemyprofessors.com may be helpful but not very objective. Finally, from time to time, the Student Government Association publishes Academia Explained or a similar pamphlet that includes the results of student surveys. You know which teaching style best suits you and you know what interests you. If you are pursuing teaching certification, however, you should expose yourself to a wide variety of topics, teachers, and teaching strategies rather than just your favorite subject, instructor, or style. If you are interested in learning more about a certain region, time, or topic, challenge yourself and take that course. Regarding priorities, if you want all your classes between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., you can do that—but you may not graduate in four years. If you make school your first priority, and that includes taking courses when they are offered, you can graduate on time.
See Your Advisor During the scheduling period, contact your assigned advisor to set up a meeting, which is required in order for advisors to remove the scheduling hold on your student account. Some History advisors put a sign-up sheet on their office doors, others have digital scheduling services. Or you may show up during the advisor’s posted office hours. Because History advisors usually hold expanded office hours during scheduling, the plaintive “My advisor is never in” is not persuasive. However, if your advisor really isn’t available (even professors get sick), see the assistant chair or the chair: either will be glad to help you.
Bring a tentative schedule with you and pick up your advising folder from the History office (DO NOT take the file home with you—it needs to be returned to the History office when you and your advisor are finished with it). Your advisor will review your proposed schedule with you and give you access to on-line scheduling. This is also a good time to review your progress and chat about your plans. You must see your advisor for two reasons: First, advisors will not give you access to scheduling until you have seen them; and second, if you consistently take the courses your advisor recommends and a problem crops up during your graduation clearance, we can support your petition for an exception to the rule, and you will still graduate. Ultimately, you are responsible for reading this handbook, opening emails, checking websites and your Degree Progress Report. Consulting your advisor is not enough to ensure you stay on track, but your advisor is a very helpful guide to graduating on time.
33 | P a g e
Tricks of the Trade: Twofers, Threefers, and Fourfers If you have transferred to West Chester, have changed majors, or simply want additional flexibility in your schedule, you may use some courses to fulfill more than one requirement. You’ve already seen how HIS 300 meets both a major and a writing emphasis requirement and how a literature course meets both general education and certification requirements. Those are “twofers” in that one course meets two requirements. There are also “threefers.” HIS 451, for example, serves as an elective in the major, a diverse communities course, and a writing emphasis course. These are just some examples. Check the catalog; that which is not forbidden is legal. In the end, your creativity is limited by the fact that you must have at least forty-eight credits of General Education courses and at least 120 credits at or above the 100-level credits to graduate. If you are in doubt about the applicability of a course, see your advisor.
For perhaps the first time in your life, you are in charge. You get to plan the next four (or more) years of your life. Below is a plan. Nothing bad will happen if you deviate from it, remembering that you need to take prerequisite courses prior to the advanced courses that require them.
In general, you should take both English composition courses and Math in the first three semesters and should complete the HIS 100/200 level courses and HIS 300 by the end of the sophomore year. BA majors who are continuing a language they started in high school should complete the language requirement before they forget everything they learned in high school. You may take HIS 101 before or after you take HIS 102; you may take HIS 152 before HIS 151. Try to avoid taking more than three upper-level history courses in one semester as that will greatly increase your workload. Beyond those general rules, an infinite number of variations to the model curriculum are possible.
Schedule using myWCU After your advisor gives you access, sign into myWCU using your university email credentials.
Each student is assigned on date on which they can begin to schedule, assuming the student has met with their advisor to have the scheduling old lifted. Schedule as soon as you have access. This is the surest way to get the classes you want when you want them. If you put off scheduling, other students will take your place in the classes you want.
Remote classes Asynchronous courses require independent work under a professor’s guidance, but they do not have scheduled meeting times as a group. Synchronous classes maintain a meeting pattern.
Closed Courses and Wait Lists If the course you need is closed, do not panic. If you have planned ahead, you should rarely encounter a situation in which you must have a particular course in a particular semester. You should have an alternative in mind. Occasionally, however, you really need to get into a class. If it is a History course, see the professor. He or she can approve your enrollment in the course or
34 | P a g e can put your name on a waiting list to be admitted when someone drops the course. If the course is in another department, see the professor or the chairperson of the department in which the course is offered. If worse comes to worst, you may be able to take the course off campus and transfer it in (see the section on taking courses off campus).
Adding and Dropping Courses You may adjust your schedule either before or after classes start. To change your schedule before classes start, use the quick add/drop screen in MyWCU. If you want to add or drop a class after the semester begins, pick up an add/drop form from the department office or the Registrar’s office. To add a course, see the professor and obtain her/his signature on the form. If it is not a History course, see either the professor or the department chairperson. You may ordinarily add a course during the first five days of a semester. (The Course Schedule and “Academic Dates and Deadlines” in myWCU give the exact dates.) To drop a course, see the professor, the department secretary, the chairperson, or the assistant chairperson to obtain a signature. Take the drop/add form to the Registrar’s Office. If you drop a course within the first five days of a semester, it will not appear on your transcript. After the first five days and until the end of the ninth week, you can drop a course and it will appear on your transcript with a “W” in the grade column. After the ninth week, you cannot withdraw from a single course; you may only withdraw from the University. The Registrar’s Office handles that process. Under no circumstances should you simply stop attending a class. If you stop attending and don’t drop the class, you will receive a “Z” (which is the same as an F, but for non-attendance).
Check Your Schedule Sometime during the first few weeks of a semester, use myWCU to check your schedule. On rare occasions, the computer hiccups and drops your classes or schedules you for a class you didn’t know you had or fails to note you’ve dropped a class. It is better to be a little obsessive than to inadvertently fail a course. If you have a printed copy of your schedule, it may make getting back into that class you were accidently dropped from easier.
Pay Your Bill When the bill arrives, pay it, or at least pay part of it. The Bursar’s Office (located in the 25 University Avenue) is amazingly flexible about payment plans. However, if you don’t make some sort of payment or arrangement by the due date, your schedule will be cancelled.
Check Your Billing Status By some fluke in the program, the computer has been known to cancel schedules of students to whom the University owes money. The wise or obsessive student checks the “Billing Status” screen in MyWCU to ensure everything is in order. If something is amiss, visit the Bursar’s Office. They are happy to correct the error, but can’t do so unless they know about it.
35 | P a g e
MODEL SCHEDULES While the following model curricula provide a guide for advising, remember that the curriculum of each advisee is unique and may vary from the model.
Model BA in history Curriculum (120 credits)
First Semester (16 credits) Second Semester (15 credits)
FYE WRT_____
WRT 120 HIS 101
HIS 151 HIS 152
Social Science General Education MAT 103 or higher
Language 101 Language 102
Third Semester (18 credits) Fourth Semester (15 credits)
HIS 300 HIS 300/400 level
HIS 102 Science General Education
Literature or Philosophy SPK 208 or other
Free Elective (optional minor, speaking Free Elective (optional minor, speaking emphasis) emphasis)
Language 201 Language 202
Arts requirement
Fifth Semester (15 credits) Sixth Semester (15 credits)
HIS 300/400 level 300/400 level
HIS 300/400 level 300/400 level
Cognate Cognate
Social Science General Education Science General Education
Diverse Communities Free Elective (optional minor)
Seventh Semester (15 credits) Eighth Semester (15 credits)
HIS 300/400 level HIS 400 (Seminar)
HIS 300/400 level Interdisciplinary
36 | P a g e
Cognate Philosophy or Literature
Free Elective (optional minor) Free Elective (optional minor)
Free Elective (optional minor) Free Elective (optional minor)
Model BA in History with American Studies Concentration Curriculum (120 credits)
First Semester (16 credits) Second Semester (15 credits)
WRT 120 WRT_____
HIS 152 HIS 151
Social and Behavioral Science General AMS 200 Education MAT 103 or higher FYE Language 102 Language 101
Third Semester (18 credits) Fourth Semester (15 credits)
LIT 200 HIS 102
HIS 101 SPK 208 or other
Philosophy LIT 201
Free Elective (optional minor) HIS 300
Language 201 Language 202
Arts requirement
Fifth Semester (15 credits) Sixth Semester (15 credits)
AMS/HIS 367 US History/American Studies Elective
European History Elective American Studies Cognate
Science General Education Science General Education
Social and Behavioral Science General Free Elective (optional minor) Education Free Elective (optional minor) Diverse Communities
Seventh Semester (15 credits) Eighth Semester (15 credits)
37 | P a g e
US History/American Studies Elective AMS 400 or 401 or 415
American Studies Cognate American Studies Cognate
World History Elective Free Elective (optional minor)
Free Elective (optional minor) Free Elective (optional minor)
Free Elective (optional minor) Free Elective (optional minor)
Model BA with Elective Certification in Social Studies Curriculum
For students entering WCU Fall 2019 and after
First Semester (19 credits) Second Semester (18 credits)
WRT 120 (required for teacher WRT ______candidacy) HIS 101 General Education Arts HIS 151 PSY 100 MAT 103+ (required for teacher candidacy) HIS 152 EDP 250 Language 101 Language 102 FYE
Pass Basic Skills Test ASAP (either PAPA, SAT, ACT, or CORE). Apply for FATE upon completing 48 credits.
Third Semester (18 credits) Fourth Semester (18 credits)
HIS 102 SPK 208 (or SPK 230) (S)
HIS 300 (W) ECO 111 or 112
MAT 104+ (required for teacher General Education Science candidacy) HIS 300/400 level LIT/CLS (required for teacher EDA 103 candidacy) Language 202 HIS 444
Language 201
38 | P a g e
Must achieve Formal Admission to Teacher Candidacy by the time you have completed 60 credits.
Fifth Semester (18 credits) Sixth Semester (18 credits)
General Education Science ANT 102 or SOC 200
PSC 100 HIS 300/400 level
HIS 300/400 level HIS 300/400 level
HIS 300/400 level EDA 304 (required)
EDR 347 EDS 306 (W) (required)
LAN/ENG 382 (J) ERM 355 (E)
Take PRAXIS II (Comprehensive Social Studies)
Seventh Semester (16 credits) Eighth Semester (12 credits)
General Education Philosophy EDS 411/412 Student-Teaching (S) (required) GEO 101 or 103
HIS 300/400 level
HIS 400-Seminar (W)
EDT 349 (1 credit) (required)
SSC 331 (W) (required)
Social Studies Certification
Teacher Candidacy Requirements Required Education Courses
I. Courses EDP 250
A. Complete 48+ credits EDA 103
1. WRT 120 or WRT _____ ERM 355
2. LIT/CLS (3 credits) EDR 347
3. MAT (6 credits) LAN/ENG 382
B. GPA of 2.8 or higher EDA 304*
EDT 349* (1 credit)
39 | P a g e
II. By 60 credits, complete the EDS 306* (a prerequisite for SSC 331 and may NOT be above plus taken concurrently.)
one of the following Basic Skills SSC 331* (a prerequisite for student-teaching.) Tests
A. PAPA Test or EDS 411/ 412* (No other courses may be taken while student-teaching.)
B. SAT Test or *Teacher candidacy is required prior to taking this course. C. ACT Test or NB. All social studies certification students must take D. CORE Test the PRAXIS II (Social Studies: Content Knowledge) examination prior to student-teaching experiences. They may graduate without passing the exam, but must pass the exam (Total Score ≥ 157) in order to be certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
HISTORY DEGREE PATHS
History degree options: Beginning Fall 2019
B.A. in History
B.A. in History Social Studies certificate
B.A. in History American Studies concentration
General Education Requirements:
1. FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE 4 Credits (waived for transfer students at 24 credits or above) 2. English Composition (WRT 120 and 200-level writing) 6 Credits 3. Mathematics 3 Credits (Social Studies certificate requires 6 Credits, typically Math 103 &104). 4. Interdisciplinary 3 Credits
For options to fulfill “I” designation, see: https://catalog.wcupa.edu/undergraduate/general- education-requirements/interdisciplinary-requirement/
5. Diverse Communities 3 Credits (Social Studies certificate requires ENG/LAN 382. Teaching English Language Learners PK-12).
40 | P a g e
If not seeking teaching certificate, for options to fulfill “J” designation, see: https://catalog.wcupa.edu/undergraduate/general-education-requirements/diverse- communities/
6. Science 6 Credits
For options, see: https://catalog.wcupa.edu/undergraduate/general-education- requirements/science/
7. Behavioral and Social Science 6 Credits (Social Studies certificate requires: PSC 100 and PSY 100).
If not seeking teaching certificate, see: https://catalog.wcupa.edu/undergraduate/general-education-requirements/behavioral-and- social-sciences/
8. Humanities 6 Credits
For options, see (keep in mind that you cannot use the history courses listed to fulfill this requirement): https://catalog.wcupa.edu/undergraduate/general-education- requirements/humanities/
9. Arts 3 Credits
For options, see: https://catalog.wcupa.edu/undergraduate/general-education- requirements/the-arts/
10. Writing Emphasis Requirement 9 Credits (HIS 300, HIS 400 + 3 more; Social Studies Certificate requires: SSC 331). 11. Speaking Emphasis Requirement 9 Credits (SPK 208, recommended + 6 more credits, typically in Language and Culture) 12. Ethics Requirement 3 Credits
For options, see: https://catalog.wcupa.edu/undergraduate/general-education- requirements/ethics-requirement/
Social Studies certificate requires EDP 355 for ‘E’ designation.
13. Language and Culture Requirement 0-12 Credits (All history majors must either test out or pass a foreign language at the 202 level). Exceptions constitute only ones who possess a medical diagnosis that prohibits them from learning a foreign language. For requirements, visit the Learning Assistance and Resource Center: https://www.wcupa.edu/universityCollege/larc/
History Major requirements
1. Core: HIS 101 (Civ I), HIS 102 (Civ II), HIS 151 (US 1), HIS 152 (US 2), HIS 300 (Varieties) 15 credits
41 | P a g e
American Studies concentration also requires: AMS 200 and LIT 201 (Amer. Civ. & Amer. Lit.) 6 credits
2. Cognates: 9 credits
History B.A.: Three courses in at least two disciplines related to history (such as American studies, anthropology, art history, economics, geography, literature, music history, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, and women's and gender studies). These courses are in addition to those taken to fulfill general education requirements.
Social Studies Certificate requires: SOC 200 or ANT 102, ECON 111 or 112, GEO 101 or 103.
American Studies concentration requires: Three 300-/400-level American-themed courses from at least two of the following disciplines: anthropology, art history, economics, geography, literature, music history, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, and women’s and gender studies.
3. Upper Level History Courses (300 level and above):
History B.A.: According to the designations of United States, European and World/Regional history, choose any 3 courses from one area and 2 courses from each of the other 2. 21 credits
Social Studies Certificate: Same as for non-teaching B.A. (above), but requires HIS 444, History of American education to count as one upper level U.S. history (a substitute for EDF 300). 21 credits
American Studies concentration: AMS/HIS 367, Material Culture plus: 2 upper level U.S., 1 upper level world and 1 upper level European. 15 credits
4. Capstone (B.A. and Social Studies Certification): HIS 400 (Seminar). 3 credits
American Studies Concentration requires: a senior project, internship, or independent study in American studies. 3 credits
5. Free electives (B.A. and American Studies concentration only): Student choice of courses, perhaps geared toward a minor, to reach 120 credits required to graduate. This ranges from 12- 24 credits (depending language placement, for example).
Additional Social Studies Certification Specific Requirements:
1. Acceptance to Teacher Candidacy (Formerly FATE): • Enrolled in a program leading to teacher certification or educational specialist
42 | P a g e
• Earned a minimum of 48 credits at the college level (100 level or above) • Earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 • Earned 3 credits in college-level English composition • Earned 3 credits in literature taught in English • Earned 6 credits in college-level mathematics • Achieved passing scores as established by the PA Department of Education on the Basic Skills tests. Use the PDE Calculator to determine whether your scores meet the Basic Skills requirement. • Received the recommendation of one’s advisor. 2. Program of Study (Education): 34 credits
EDA 103 – Foundations of Special Education, 3 credits.
EDA 304 – Special Ed. Processes/Procedures for Secondary Educators, 3 credits.
EDT 349 – Technology Tools to Transform Teaching and Learning, 1 credit.
EDP 250 – Educational Psychology, 3 credits.
ERM 355 (Fulfills “E” designation) – Assessment for Learning 7-12, 3 credits.
EDR 347 – (Fulfills “J” designation) Literacy Development and Secondary Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms, 3 credits.
EDS 306 – Teaching Principles and Field Experience in Secondary Schools, 3 credits.
SSC 331 – (Fulfills “W” designation) (EDS 306 is prerequisite) Methods of Teaching Secondary Social Studies, 3 credits.
EDS 411/412 – (Fulfills “S” designation) (ALL coursework must be completed successfully to enroll) Student Teaching, 12 credits.
43 | P a g e
HISTORY B.A. Advising Sheet: Beginning Fall 2020 [GREEN]
Name:______
Student ID:______
Required:
1. 120 credits total. 2. 2.0 grade point average within the major. 3. At least 50% of credits in major fulfilled at WCU. 4. At least 30.0 of the final 60.0 credits earned at WCU.
General education:
Courses approved to fulfill all general education requirements (Transfer students exempt from FYE, First Year Experience): https://catalog.wcupa.edu/undergraduate/general-education-requirements/approved- gen-ed-course-list/
FYE 4.0 credits Course______Grade______Semester______
ACADEMIC FOUNDATION (12.0-18.0 credits):
English Composition: “Students must earn 3 credits at the Writing 200 level to fulfill the English composition general education requirement. These 3 credits can be completed via WCU coursework or via earned transfer credit. Students may need to complete prerequisite coursework prior to enrollment into a Writing 200-level course.
WCU is piloting a student-guided self-placement survey to determine the appropriate course sequence for our English Composition requirement. More information about the self-placement survey (the WRITE Survey) can be found below under English Placement. In order to fulfill the requirement, students must complete one of the following course sequences or transfer in credits that fulfill the requirement:”
Sequence A:
Semester 1: WRT 123 (4 credits) Grade______Semester______
Semester 2: 200-level WRT course (3 credits) Grade______Semester______
Sequence B:
Semester 1: WRT 120 (3 credits) Grade______Semester______
44 | P a g e
Semester 2: 200-level WRT course (3 credits) Grade______Semester______
Sequence C:
200-level WRT course (3 credits) Course______Grade______Semester______
(The WCU WRITE survey may, in exceptional circumstances, place students into the Advanced sequence if their WRITE survey scores are particularly high and if they have a minimum GPA of 3.8 and a Reading/Writing SAT of 620 or ACT English score of 28.)
Math: 3.0 credits
Course______Grade______Semester______
GENERAL EDUCATION DISTRIBUTIVE REQUIREMENTS (21.0 credits):
Please note that only courses listed on the “Approved General Education Course List” may be used to meet General Education requirements. https://catalog.wcupa.edu/undergraduate/general-education-requirements/approved-gen-ed- course-list/
Humanities: 6.0 credits Note that HIS courses cannot be used for the Distributive requirement in humanities.
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Science: 6.0 credits
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Arts 3.0 credits
Course______Grade______Semester______
Soc. Sci. 6.0 credits
Course______Grade______Semester______
45 | P a g e
Course______Grade______Semester______
Speaking emphasis “S”: 9 credits
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Ethics “E”: 3.0 credits:
Course______Grade______Semester______
Diversity “J”: 3.0 credits:
Course______Grade______Semester______
Writing emphasis “W”: 9 credits: HIS 300 and HIS 400 are required courses in the History Major and, upon completion, will meet the Writing Emphasis requirement. That leaves one remaining W course to fulfill.
Course______Grade______Semester______
Interdisciplinary “I”: 3.0 credits
Course______Grade______Semester______
ADDITIONAL BACCALAUREATE REQUIREMENTS:
For. Lang: 0-12.0 credits (Determined by Language Placement exam.)
1. Course______Grade ______Semester ______2. Course______Grade ______Semester ______3. Course______Grade ______Semester ______4. Course______Grade ______Semester ______
46 | P a g e
HISTORY MAJOR REQUIREMENTS (39.0 credits, including HIS 300 & HIS 400)
Lower-Level Core:
One of: HIS 100, 101, 102
Course______Grade______Semester______
One of: HIS 150, 151, 152
Course______Grade______Semester______
Any other two 100 or 200-level HIS courses approved by the History Department. Check with advisor and with website for the current list. At time of printing, HIS 100, 101, 102, 150, 151, 152, 215
1. Course______Gr.____ Sem.______2. Course______Gr.______Sem. ______
HIS 300 Grade______Semester______
Upper level courses: 21 credits (300 and 400 level. World, U.S. and Europe – 3 courses in one area, 2 in each of the others).
Primary area:
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Secondary area:
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
47 | P a g e
Tertiary area:
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
HIS 400 Grade______Semester______
Cognates: 9.0 credits (Under advisement, students take three courses in at least two disciplines related to history such as American studies, anthropology, art history, economics, geography, literature, music history, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, and women's and gender studies. These courses are in addition to those taken to fulfill general education requirements).
1. Course______Grade______Semester______2. Course______Grade______Semester______3. Course______Grade______Semester______
FREE ELECTIVES: 12.0-24.0 credits to fulfill graduation requirement. Possible to use these toward a minor, or a double major, to complement one’s history degree.
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
48 | P a g e
HISTORY B.A. with Social Studies certificate Advising Sheet: Beginning Fall 2020 [YELLOW]
Name:______
Student ID______
Required:
5. 130+ credits total. 6. 2.0 grade point average within the major. 7. At least 50% of credits in major fulfilled at WCU. 8. At least 30.0 of the final 60.0 credits earned at WCU.
General education:
Courses approved to fulfill all general education requirements (Transfer students exempt from FYE, First Year Experience): https://catalog.wcupa.edu/undergraduate/general-education-requirements/approved- gen-ed-course-list/
FYE 4.0 credits Course______Grade______Semester______
ACADEMIC FOUNDATION (12.0-18.0 credits):
English Composition: “Students must earn 3 credits at the Writing 200 level to fulfill the English composition general education requirement. These 3 credits can be completed via WCU coursework or via earned transfer credit. Students may need to complete prerequisite coursework prior to enrollment into a Writing 200-level course.
49 | P a g e
WCU is piloting a student-guided self-placement survey to determine the appropriate course sequence for our English Composition requirement. More information about the self-placement survey (the WRITE Survey) can be found below under English Placement. In order to fulfill the requirement, students must complete one of the following course sequences or transfer in credits that fulfill the requirement:”
Sequence A:
Semester 1: WRT 123 (4 credits) Grade______Semester______
Semester 2: 200-level WRT course (3 credits) Grade______Semester______
Sequence B:
Semester 1: WRT 120 (3 credits) Grade______Semester______
Semester 2: 200-level WRT course (3 credits) Grade______Semester______
Sequence C:
200-level WRT course (3 credits) Course______Grade______Semester______
(The WCU WRITE survey may, in exceptional circumstances, place students into the Advanced sequence if their WRITE survey scores are particularly high and if they have a minimum GPA of 3.8 and a Reading/Writing SAT of 620 or ACT English score of 28.)
Math: 6.0 credits (MAT 103 and greater)
1. Course______Grade______Semester______2. Course______Grade______Semester______
GENERAL EDUCATION DISTRIBUTIVE REQUIREMENTS (21.0 credits):
Please note that only courses listed on the “Approved General Education Course List” may be used to meet General Education requirements. https://catalog.wcupa.edu/undergraduate/general-education-requirements/approved-gen-ed- course-list/
Humanities: 6.0 credits – Note that HIS courses cannot be used for the Distributive requirement in humanities. Also note that the application for teacher-candidacy requirements include choosing a LIT/CLS course for one of the two humanities options
1. LIT/CLS Course______Grade______Semester______2. Course______Grade______Semester______
50 | P a g e
Science: 6.0 credits
1. Course______Grade______Semester______2. Course______Grade______Semester______
Arts 3.0 credits
Course______Grade______Semester______
Soc. Sci. 6.0 credits
Course PSC 100 Grade______Semester______
Course PSY 100 Grade______Semester______
Speaking emphasis “S”: 9 credits
Course: SPK 208 Grade______Semester______
Course: EDS 411 Grade______Semester______
Course: EDS 412 Grade______Semester______
Ethics “E”: 3.0 credits: ERM 355 is a required course in History B.A. with Social Studies Certification and will meet the Ethics requirement.
ERM 355: Grade______Semester______
Diversity “J”: 3.0 credits: ENG/LAN 382 is a required course in History B.A. with Social Studies Certification and will meet the Diversity requirement.
ENG/LAN 382 Grade______Semester______
Writing emphasis “W”: 9 credits: HIS 300, HIS 400, and SSC 331 are required courses in History B.A. with Social Studies Certification and will meet the Writing Emphasis requirement.
Interdisciplinary “I”: 3.0 credits
Course______Grade______Semester______
51 | P a g e
ADDITIONAL BACCALAUREATE REQUIREMENTS:
For. Lang: 0-12.0 credits (Determined by Language Placement exam.)
5. Course______Grade ______Semester ______6. Course______Grade ______Semester ______7. Course______Grade ______Semester ______8. Course______Grade ______Semester ______
HISTORY MAJOR REQUIREMENTS (39.0 credits, including HIS 300 & HIS 400)
Lower-Level Core:
One of: HIS 100, 101, 102
Course______Grade______Semester______
One of: HIS 150, 151, 152
Course______Grade______Semester______
Any other two 100 or 200-level HIS courses approved by the History Department. Check with advisor and with website for the current list. At time of printing, HIS 100, 101, 102, 150, 151, 152, 215
2. Course______Gr.____ Sem.______2. Course______Gr.______Sem. ______
HIS 300 Grade______Semester______
Upper level courses: 21 credits (300 and 400 level. World, U.S. and Europe – 3 courses in one area, 2 in each of the others). HIS 444 – History of American Education is required for certification students (in place of EDF 300), and counts toward upper level U.S. area.
Primary area:
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Secondary area:
Course______Grade______Semester______
52 | P a g e
Course______Grade______Semester______
Tertiary area:
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
HIS 400 Grade______Semester______
Cognates: 9.0 credits These courses are in addition to those taken to fulfill general education requirements).
Course: GEO 101 or 103 Grade______Semester______
Course: ANT 102 or Soc 100 Grade______Semester______
Course: ECON 111 or 112 Grade______Semester______
Core Education Courses
The secondary social studies teacher certification program requires 37 credits in education. The following courses must be passed with a grade of “C” or higher (NOT “C-“): EDP 250, EDA 103, EDA 304, ERM 355, EDR 347, EDT 349, LAN/ENG 382, EDS 306, and SSC 331.
Course # Title (credits) grade semester
EDP 250 # Educational Psychology (3) ______
EDA 103 Foundations of Special Education (3) ______
EDR 347 Literacy Dev. & 2ndary Students in Inclusive Classrooms (3) ______
ERM 355# Assessment for Learning, 7-12 (3) ______
LAN/ENG 382 Teaching English Language Learners (3) ______
EDA 304# Processes and Procedures for General Educators (3) ______
EDT 349* Educational Technology (1) ______
EDS 306*# Field Experience (General Methods) (3) ______
53 | P a g e
(EDS 306 is a prerequisite for SSC 331 and may NOT be taken concurrently.)
(Students MUST register for and attend the Clinical Experience office’s Student Teaching Registration Session TWO SEMESTERS prior to student teaching. That typically means doing so in the semester students take EDS 306. Students will be notified by email.)
SSC 331*# Methods of Teaching Social Studies (3) ______
(SSC 331 is a prerequisite for student-teaching and should be taken in the semester prior to student-teaching.)
EDS 411/412*# Student-Teaching (12) ______and ______
(Students must have taken PRAXIS II prior to their student-teaching experiences. No other courses may be taken while student-teaching.)
*Applying for and meeting the “teacher candidacy” milestone (previously, “Formal Admission to Teacher Education” is required prior to taking these courses.
# Course includes a Field Experience component for which students will need to have the relevant clearances, listed on the next page
Additional Requirements for Selected Education Courses, Teacher-Certification, Student Teaching, and Certification
For Education Courses Requiring Field Experiences/Observations in Public Schools, you will need to obtain:
1. PA Criminal Background Check 2. PA Child Abuse Clearance 3. FBI Criminal Background Check 4. Tuberculosis Test
These clearances will need to be on file with the Office of Clinical Experiences, 125 West Rosedale Ave., Suite 107, Wayne Hall https://www.wcupa.edu/education- socialwork/clearances.aspx
To obtain Teacher Candidacy: https://www.wcupa.edu/education- socialWork/teacherCandidacy.aspx
54 | P a g e
1. Completed at least 48 credits
2. An overall GPA of 2.8 or higher in all courses. Overall GPA______
3. Achieved passing scores on the Reading, Math, and Writing examinations of either PAPA (Pearson’s Pre-Service Academic Performance Assessment) or CORE (ETS’s Core Academic Skills for Educators Tests), or by testing out with qualifying ACT or SAT scores. Information on passing scores can be found here https://www.wcupa.edu/education-socialwork/paTests.aspx
Reading Date taken ______Passed ______
Math Date taken ______Passed ______
Writing Date taken ______Passed ______
5. Earned three credits of English Composition ______6. Earned three credits of Literature ______
5. Earned six credits of Mathematics ______
6. Obtained a recommendation for admission from the Department of History
For admission to Student-Teaching (EDS 411/412), you must:
1. Take PRAXIS II (Social Studies Content Knowledge--#5081) and report scores to your advisor. (Date taken: ______)
For PA Certification in Social Studies, you must complete the required curriculum and . . .
1. Complete both halves of Student-Teaching with grade of “C” or higher (NOT C-);
2. Pass the PRAXIS II (Social Studies Content Knowledge--#5081) (Date passed: ______);
55 | P a g e
A passing score is 157, potentially subject to the “Sliding Scale” if a student has a sufficiently high GPA. See the Sliding Scale chart for more detail. https://www.wcupa.edu/education- socialwork/documents/SlideingScaleAsOfMarch272017.pdf
3. Attain a GPA of 3.0 or higher upon graduation, potentially subject to the “Sliding Scale” if a student has a sufficiently high Praxis II score. See the Sliding Scale chart for more detail. https://www.wcupa.edu/education- socialwork/documents/SlideingScaleAsOfMarch272017.pdf
A Note to the Student
Your teacher-certification program emphasizes content knowledge in the disciplines of Civics, Economics, Geography, and History, with secondary attention to Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, and Religious Studies.
As you take coursework in these disciplines, you will want to focus on acquiring four sets of intellectual skills that you eventually will be expected to teach in your classroom. These are the skills of:
• Developing questions that lead to productive paths of scholarly inquiry in each particular discipline.
• Applying the tools and concepts used in each discipline, in order to explore possible answers to the questions you develop.
• Evaluating sources and using evidence appropriate to each discipline, in order to more effectively evaluate your answers to the questions you develop.
• Communicating your conclusions in the formats appropriate to each discipline, and using those conclusions to identify ways to take informed action as an educated and engaged citizen.
Collectively, those skills create what teachers call the “Inquiry Arc” which we want you to master as a scholar, and then be able to teach to your own students.
56 | P a g e
These goals should guide you in the selection of courses in your academic major and all of your electives, including those under General Education requirements. Consider that as a professional secondary social studies educator, you most likely will be teaching United States History, World History, World Cultures and Religions, Geography, United States Civics and Government, and applied Economics and Consumerism. You could also be teaching a Psychology or Sociology course, too! Where you have a choice between different courses to fulfill your requirements, you will want to select the option that best addresses the content and skills identified here.
Depending on your interests and scheduling needs, your choice of courses may also lead you to a second major or a minor in one of the social studies or education disciplines. A minor in Literacy, or Special Education, or Youth Empowerment and Urban Studies can greatly enhance your teaching credentials. Fluency in a foreign language, especially Spanish, also will enhance your teaching and improve your employment prospects. Consider American Sign Language as another route to meeting your language requirement in a way that boosts your employability as a teacher. Discuss these important options with your advisor.
Professional Dispositions
The College of Education and Social Work has developed a set of professional dispositions and professional requirements that you are expected to demonstrate in all of your interactions with WCU faculty, staff, and students, and that you are expected to model in your life outside of WCU. You want to make sure that you are interacting with the WCU community and conducting yourself in your personal life in ways that inspire confidence that you will be a responsible, thoughtful, compassionate teacher. Failure to do so, at any point in your time at WCU, may result in a faculty or staff person filing a formal report indicating concern with your disposition to the College of Education, which would initiate a review of your conduct and efforts to identify and improve the area of concern.
57 | P a g e
HISTORY B.A. – American Studies Concentration Advising Sheet: Beginning Fall 2020 [Pink]
Name:______
Student ID:______
Required:
9. 120 credits total. 10. 2.0 grade point average within the major. 11. At least 50% of credits in major fulfilled at WCU. 12. At least 30.0 of the final 60.0 credits earned at WCU.
General education:
Courses approved to fulfill all general education requirements (Transfer students exempt from FYE, First Year Experience): https://catalog.wcupa.edu/undergraduate/general-education-requirements/approved- gen-ed-course-list/
FYE 4.0 credits Course______Grade______Semester______
ACADEMIC FOUNDATION (12.0-18.0 credits):
English Composition: “Students must earn 3 credits at the Writing 200 level to fulfill the English composition general education requirement. These 3 credits can be completed via WCU coursework or via earned transfer credit. Students may need to complete prerequisite coursework prior to enrollment into a Writing 200-level course.
WCU is piloting a student-guided self-placement survey to determine the appropriate course sequence for our English Composition requirement. More information about the self-placement survey (the WRITE Survey) can be found below under English Placement. In order to fulfill the requirement, students must complete one of the following course sequences or transfer in credits that fulfill the requirement:”
Sequence A:
Semester 1: WRT 123 (4 credits) Grade______Semester______
Semester 2: 200-level WRT course (3 credits) Grade______Semester______
Sequence B:
Semester 1: WRT 120 (3 credits) Grade______Semester______
58 | P a g e
Semester 2: 200-level WRT course (3 credits) Grade______Semester______
Sequence C:
200-level WRT course (3 credits) Course______Grade______Semester______
(The WCU WRITE survey may, in exceptional circumstances, place students into the Advanced sequence if their WRITE survey scores are particularly high and if they have a minimum GPA of 3.8 and a Reading/Writing SAT of 620 or ACT English score of 28.)
Math: 3.0 credits
Course______Grade______Semester______
GENERAL EDUCATION DISTRIBUTIVE REQUIREMENTS (21.0 credits):
Please note that only courses listed on the “Approved General Education Course List” may be used to meet General Education requirements. https://catalog.wcupa.edu/undergraduate/general-education-requirements/approved-gen-ed- course-list/
Humanities: 6.0 credits Note that HIS courses cannot be used for the Distributive requirement in humanities.
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Science: 6.0 credits
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Arts 3.0 credits
Course______Grade______Semester______
Soc. Sci. 6.0 credits
Course______Grade______Semester______
59 | P a g e
Course______Grade______Semester______
Speaking emphasis “S”: 9 credits
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Ethics “E”: 3.0 credits:
Course______Grade______Semester______
Diversity “J”: 3.0 credits:
Course______Grade______Semester______
Writing emphasis “W”: 9 credits: HIS 300 and HIS 400 are required courses in the History Major and, upon completion, will meet the Writing Emphasis requirement. That leaves one remaining W course to fulfill.
Course______Grade______Semester______
Interdisciplinary “I”: 3.0 credits
Course______Grade______Semester______
ADDITIONAL BACCALAUREATE REQUIREMENTS:
For. Lang: 0-12.0 credits (Determined by Language Placement exam.)
9. Course______Grade ______Semester ______10. Course______Grade ______Semester ______11. Course______Grade ______Semester ______12. Course______Grade ______Semester ______
60 | P a g e
HISTORY MAJOR REQUIREMENTS (39.0 credits, including HIS 300 & HIS 400)
Lower-Level Core:
One of: HIS 100, 101, 102
Course______Grade______Semester______
One of: HIS 150, 151, 152
Course______Grade______Semester______
Any other two 100 or 200-level HIS courses approved by the History Department. Check with advisor and with website for the current list. At time of printing, HIS 100, 101, 102, 150, 151, 152, 215
3. Course______Gr.____ Sem.______2. Course______Gr.______Sem. ______
HIS 300 Grade______Semester______
Upper level courses: 21 credits (300 and 400 level. U.S., Europe and World – 3 courses in U.S., 2 in each of the others).
Primary area: U.S. History
Course AMS/HIS 367 Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Secondary area:
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Tertiary area:
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
61 | P a g e
AMS 400 Grade______Semester______
Cognates: 9.0 credits Three 300-/400-level American-themed courses from at least two of the following disciplines: anthropology, art history, economics, geography, literature, music history, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, and women’s and gender studies. These courses are in addition to those taken to fulfill general education requirements).
4. Course______Grade______Semester______5. Course______Grade______Semester______6. Course______Grade______Semester______
Additional requirements:
1. AMS 200 Grade______Semester______2. LIT 201 Grade______Semester______
FREE ELECTIVES: 12.0-24.0 credits to fulfill graduation requirement. Possible to use these toward a minor, or a double major, to complement one’s history degree.
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
Course______Grade______Semester______
62 | P a g e
COURSES FOR STUDENTS INTERESTED IN CAREERS IN PUBLIC HISTORY
Today the university offers a broad range of courses for history majors interested in careers in public history. We offer the following list to assist you in advising these students.
HISTORY HIS 367. American Material Culture. An interdisciplinary study of American civilization through the examination of its built environment and crafted and manufactured artifacts from the colonial period to the mid- twentieth century. Cross listed courses AMS 367, HIS 367.
HIS 390. History on the Web. This course helps students develop skills to critically engage with, evaluate, and synthesize historical resources on the Internet by teaching digital literacy through instruction in searching and discovering information, evaluating material critically, and collecting and curating information. Beyond the mere collection of information, though, this course will develop students' ability to gain the transferable skill of moving from information to knowledge.
HIS 344. History of Pennsylvania. The founding and development of Pennsylvania from its Colonial beginnings to the present with emphasis on the relation of the past to the present.
HIS 360. Technology and American Life. Promises and practices of American life in response to the interaction of American forms, values, and scientific-technological change from the Colonial period to the present.
63 | P a g e
HIS 364. U.S. Urban History. A survey of the rise of the American city from early Philadelphia to the modern metropolis. The recurring themes of growth, immigration, social mobility, city politics, city planning, urbanism, and suburbanism.
HIS 399: Topics in America History, including offerings on Food history, Public history, Roadside America, Oral History and Digital History
HIS 450. Internship In History.
HIS 460. Field Studies In History. A fully supervised learning experience designed to expose students to the culture, artifacts, and research facilities of a given country or area.
HIS 480. Digital History. Introduction to digital tools and technologies for conducting and disseminating historical research, with an emphasis on putting digital approaches into practice through creation of public facing digital projects.
AMERICAN STUDIES AMS 200. American Civilization. An interdisciplinary study of the forces, forms, and values that have contributed to the making of American civilization. Several academic disciplines are drawn upon in exploring the 'Americaness' of American institutions, thought, behavior, and material culture. Gen Ed Attribute: Interdisciplinary Requirement.
AMS 367. American Material Culture. An interdisciplinary study of American civilization through the examination of its built environment and crafted and manufactured artifacts from the Colonial period to the mid-20th century. Cross listed courses AMS 367, HIS 367
Digital Humanities DHM 280. Introduction to Digital Humanities. This course is an introduction to new media, digital humanities, and computational approaches to the humanities, with a survey of theories, methodologies, and current critical practices. Fulfills Interdisciplinary and Writing Emphasis Requirement
DHM 325. Digital Research Methods. This course introduces students to software tools and methodologies necessary for meaningful research in the humanities. Hands on instruction is provided, along with opportunities for independent and sustained research work. Pre / Co requisites: DHM 325 requires a prerequisite or co-requisite of DHM 280 or instructor consent. Typically offered in Fall.
64 | P a g e
DHM 405. Digital Humanities Practicum. This course provides students with practical experience using technology to work hands-on with active projects in the humanities. Students work with a project supervisor, on or off campus.
Museum Studies MST 258 – Introduction to Museum Studies. Exploring the rich diversity of museums in the world, and including behind-the-scenes visits to local museums with their directors and curators, this course compares and contrasts the history, development, culture, needs, and values of the museum in contemporary society.Gen Ed Attribute: Interdisciplinary Requirement.Typically offered in Fall.
MST 280. Museum Techniques. 1-3 Credits. This course involves practical learning for the purposes of technical skills acquisition. Students will learn about and practice one or more museum techniques or procedures in a pre- professional setting. The course is taught in a lab, repository, or museum context. Students will learn to execute proper museum technique and record keeping and follow ethical standards of performance while being involved with project-based learning. Pre / Co requisites: MST 280 requires a prerequisite of MST 258. Typically offered in Fall, Spring & Summer. Repeatable for Credit.
MST 350 – Collections Care and Management This course addresses the responsibilities, standards, and practical skills involved in managing and caring for humanities and science object and specimen collections for museums and other curation facilities. Students learn the fundamental areas of collections management, including artifact handling, cataloging procedures, curatorial standards, archival storage methods, and collections accessibility. Students also address the procedures and issues related to preservation and preventative conservation. Pre / Co requisites: MST 350 requires a prerequisite of MST 258. Typically offered in Spring.
MST 358. Museum Exhibit Curation This course provides a high-impact learning experience on the theoretical and practical workings of museums and museum curation by empowering students to co-curate an exhibit in the West Chester University Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology. Students will engage in the entire process of museum curation, from planning the exhibit to acquisitioning and cataloging artifacts for display, from writing museum labels to publishing an exhibit catalog. Pre / Co requisites: MST 358 requires a prerequisite of MST 258. Typically offered in Spring.
ANTHROPOLOGY ANT 260. Artifacts and Culture. Critical exploration of the role of material items in the analysis and interpretation of human
65 | P a g e culture. Typically offered in Fall. Gen Ed Attribute: Interdisciplinary Requirement.
ANT 103. Introduction to Archaeology. This course provides an overview of methods and strategies involved in archaeological research and the interpretation of culture through the analysis of archaeological remains. Gen Ed Attribute: Behavioral and Social Science Distributive.
ANT 213. Archaeological Field Techniques. Implementation of archaeological principles and theory in laboratory and field studies. Pre / Co requisites: ANT 113 requires prerequisite of ANT 103. Typically offered in Summer.
ANT 349. Ethnographic Research Methods. This hands-on course teaches students how to conduct ethnographic research in an increasingly globalizing and digitally connected world. Methods instructed include participant observation, ethnographic interviews, kinship and social network mapping, oral history elicitation, multi- sited/global and virtual ethnographies, and audio-visual documentation; ethics in research practice will also be covered. Pre / Co requisites: ANT 349 requires a prerequisite of ANT 102. Typically offered in Spring.
ANT 352. Cultural Heritage: Creating and Preserving the Past. What is cultural heritage, and how do societies remember, preserve, and transmit it? This seminar-style class explores the history and politics of cultural heritage and conservation movements, examining the ways in which 'patrimony' (heritage) is used to create or contest cultural identities across the world. Through case studies, we will discuss why tangible and intangible heritage stir such emotion among diverse peoples, mobilizing political organizations, NGOs, tourists, museums, tomb raiders, and even armies to celebrate, protect, loot, commodify, efface, contest, and even go to war over artifacts and practices rooted in the past. Pre / Co requisites: ANT 352 requires prerequisite: ANT 102 or ANT 103, or permission of instructor. Typically offered in Fall.
ANT 355. Anthropology of Tourism. This seminar examines tourism as a complex social phenomenon in which a variety of encounters and exchanges occur, and which impacts the culture, politics and economics of mobile and immobile people around the world. It provides a comprehensive introduction to the field, touching on its history, scope and methods of research associated with what is considered one of the largest and fastest-growing industries in the world. The course also uses tourism as a lens for understanding fundamental anthropological and ethical concepts. Typically offered in Spring.
ANT 360. Historical Archaeology. Historical research through archaeology. Chester County is emphasized through local research projects. Pre / Co requisites: ANT 360 requires prerequisite or co-requisite of ANT 103.
66 | P a g e
COMMUNICATION STUDIES COM 337. Communication and Leadership. This course is designed to focus on organizational theory as it relates to leadership and change concepts. Students will evaluate organizational leadership in the public sphere and reflect on their own personal leadership as it relates to their own interaction with organizations.
COM 349. Event Planning. This course explores the communication strategies relevant to event planning and production. Topics covered include the rhetorical situation, persuasion strategies, event proposal presentation techniques, event agenda management and agenda communication, rhetorical foundations of audience-centered invitations and thank you letters, audience analysis for event production, professional client communication, as well as managing and communicating in regard to event production.
ENGLISH ENG 375 Strategies for Writing in the Workplace Strategy and politics of client-centered and competitive writing that achieves objectives for the professions and organizations. Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis.
ENG 320 Writing and Computers Introduction to document design and production, desktop publishing, and issues of technological impact on written communication. Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis.
GEOGRAPHY GEO 104. Introduction to Geospatial Technology and Analytics. This course develops critical thinking skills through the exploration of the fundamental components of data analytics in terms of spatial data and geospatial technologies. This includes the basic concepts and skills related to the 3 core areas of analytics, 1) data, 2) analysis, and 3) visualization. Data structures and skills are examined within the context of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Spreadsheets, database tools, GIS software, and geospatial technology are used to capture, manage, and store spatial data. Analysis tools, such as spreadsheet functions, scripts, and GIS software are used to investigate data sets related to discipline-specific projects. Geovisualization of results are communicated using map applications, dash boards, and story maps. Gen Ed Attribute: Science Distributive Requirement.
GEO 225. Introduction to Maps and Remote Sensing. Introduction to mapping and remote sensing. Thorough exposure to grid coordinate systems, representative fractions/scale, map projections, and mapping systems. Also, aerial photographs, digital orthophotos, satellite images, and computers as tools. Typically offered in Fall.
67 | P a g e
GEO 324. Intro to Geographic Information Systems. Data sources and analysis techniques used in the planning process, with emphasis on appropriate applications. Students receive considerable experience in using geographic information systems technology to solve real-world problems.
MEDIA AND CULTURE MDC 251. Media Technology. This course introduces the students to key technologies used in producing digital messages, as well as professional standards applied in using these technologies. As part of the course, students will also develop basic, practical skills in using current media technology applications.
MDC 252. Media Writing. This course provides a survey of mass media formats and writing techniques, including print, social media, and public relations. This course is designed to enhance the appreciation for media professionals as well as provide an understanding of the basic techniques media writers use to inform and/or persuade their audiences. Students will create a professional quality media kit, a portfolio of media artifacts promoting an event or awareness campaign. Distance education offering may be available.
MDC 325. Strategic Social Media. This course is designed to explore the influence of digital historical landscape, best marketing practices and mobilization through social media in the twenty first century. We will address key concepts in the field of new media, including issues such as media literacy, personal identity, community, globalization and the convergence culture. It is necessary to question whether there is anything "new" about these new technologies by comparing them with historic media transformations of our past. Once an adequate understanding is gained of the historical and present landscape of new media, we will learn to utilize technologies for personal online reputation management. Finally, we will critically explore how to best market new media by examining various business models and theories in the field, as well as how organizations and businesses utilize new media most effectively. Students will have an opportunity to apply course concepts to a final social media marketing project. Pre / Co requisites: MDC 325 requires prerequisites of MDC 250 and MDC 251, and at least one of the following: MDC 252, MDC 253, or MDC 254. Distance education offering may be available.
MDC 421. Content Strategy This course examines the relationship between communication and marketing on the internet, with emphasis on the strategic use of content in the marketing process. Topics include: online communication environments, audience analysis, message design, editorial plan, and the analysis of outcomes. Requires prerequisites of SPK 208, COM 219, and COM 224 or and MDC 251.
68 | P a g e
POLICIES AND PETITIONS West Chester University is a bureaucracy. It functions according to certain policies, and you will be happier if you abide by them. In addition to the policies referred to earlier, here are some of the others which are the most relevant. See the catalog and Ram’s Eye View for the official versions of these and other policies.
GRADE POINT AVERAGE FOR GRADUATION In the BA program, to graduate you must have a 2.0 GPA both overall and in History. This means that you may graduate with a “D” in a History course as long as you have a “B” in another History course with which to balance out the “D.” As indicated earlier, to be admitted to and remain in the teacher education program, you must have a GPA of 2.8 or better.
ACADEMIC PROBATION AND DISMISSAL This policy is fully explained in the catalog. Basically, you must have a 2.0 GPA after attempting eighteen credits. If you do not, you will be placed on probation (you have 30 credits in which to pull your GPA to 2.0 or be dismissed from the University). If you are placed on academic probation, see your advisor as soon as possible to complete an Academic Recovery Plan. You will not be able to schedule classes without one!
REPEATING COURSES The fastest way to raise your GPA is to repeat courses in which you have done poorly. The first time you repeat a course, only the second grade is used in computing your GPA. Hence, if you earned an “F” the first time and a “B” the second time, only the “B” will count. By the same token, if you earned a “D” the first time and an “F” the second, only the “F” will count. You may use the repeat policy five times. You can take five different courses twice or any combination thereof (but you may only take the same course three times). Use the policy wisely. Once you have used your five repeats, they’re gone; you cannot earn credit for a sixth repeat, even if you need the course in order to graduate.
GRADING POLICY The University requires that each professor in a regular course (not a seminar or similar research-based experience) administer at least three evaluations during a semester. Those evaluations may come in any form (tests, papers, and the like) and the final exam cannot count for more than one-third of the course grade.
69 | P a g e
GRADE APPEALS The Department of History does not have much experience with grade appeals. In the first place, your professors will evaluate your work fairly. Second, history majors can read the policy contained in the catalog and Ram’s Eye View and understand its import. If you believe that a grade you received on an evaluation or in a course is not a fair assessment of your performance, you must first speak with the instructor. Professors sometimes err and are happy to correct the mistake. Even if the instructor does not change the grade, you will gain a greater knowledge of the professor’s expectations and how you can meet them. You cannot appeal grades on individual assignments. You may appeal a grade in a course. Before you do so, however, read the policy. Briefly, it provides that no change in a grade will be recommended “unless there is clear evidence that the original grade was based on prejudiced or capricious judgment, or was in inconsistent with official University policy.” If the instructor administered at least three evaluations and the final exam did not count for more than one-third of the course grade, the grade was consistent with official policy. As for prejudiced or capricious judgment, how can one prove that? That you or anyone else disagrees with the professor’s assessment is irrelevant. As long as the professor used some sort of standard and essentially the same standard for everyone, the professor’s judgment is neither capricious nor prejudiced. The bottom line: talk to the professor and if you’re still not satisfied, move on. Life is not fair and you were never guaranteed anything more than the pursuit of happiness.
DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR This policy is really unnecessary because you are an adult and will act accordingly. However, just to be sure, here it is. If you disrupt a class, you will be tossed out and there is no assistant principal to put you back in. If you persist, you will be removed from the class and fail the course. You may also be removed from the University.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY This encompasses both cheating on exams and plagiarism. Plagiarism is using someone else’s words or thoughts and passing them off as your own. The History Survival Manual offers a fuller definition and tips on how to avoid plagiarism. The Department takes academic dishonesty very seriously. If you get caught, and you will get caught eventually, the best you can hope for is a failing grade in the course. If your cheating is particularly egregious, we will do our level best to get you expelled. Are we clear? For more information, see below and consult the Ram’s Eye View student handbook and the WCU Catalog.
70 | P a g e
WCU Undergraduate Student Academic Integrity Policy Any situation involving a violation of academic integrity is of major concern to the University. Faculty members preserve and transmit the values of the academic community through example in their own academic pursuits and through the learning environment that they create for their students. They are expected to instill in their students a respect for integrity and an understanding of the importance of honesty within their chosen profession. Faculty must also take measures to discourage student academic dishonesty.
Commitment to maintaining and encouraging high standards of academic integrity is demonstrated in many ways. One way is through the establishment of policies and procedures governing violation of the standards of academic integrity. The following policies, procedures and definitions are intended to help faculty meet these responsibilities.
First, the instructor has both the right and responsibility to demand academic honesty if a student is to remain in good standing in the course and is to be evaluated fairly by the instructor. A grade certifies both knowledge and a standard of academic integrity. It is essential that the instructor retain the right to set the minimum academic penalty for academic dishonesty in a course, subject to the appeal rights of a student.
Second, cheating is not just a matter between an instructor and student in a specific course. While it is the right and duty of the instructor to set minimum penalties for dishonesty in a particular course, the University is responsible for the minimum standards of academic integrity and achievement on which degrees are based. It is the University that permits students to remain members of the academic community and finally certifies that students have attained sufficient academic credit and exhibited acceptable standards of conduct to entitle them to a degree. Incidents of academic dishonesty, especially when they recur and become patterns of dishonest behavior, require that the University be in position to use more severe disciplinary measures than those available to the professor, including expulsion of the student from the University. It is therefore imperative that individual instances of academic dishonesty, accompanied by details concerning penalties, become a part of the student’s central disciplinary record.
Third, students accused of academic dishonesty have the right to have their case heard in a fair and impartial manner, with all the safeguards available within the normal disciplinary processes.
As responsible members of the academic community, students are obligated to comply with the basic standards of integrity. They are also expected to take an active role in encouraging other members to respect those standards. Should a student have reason to believe that a violation of academic integrity has occurred, he/she is encouraged to make the suspicion known to a member of the faculty or university administration. Students should familiarize themselves with the university’s policies, procedures, and definitions of types of violations, as provided in the Undergraduate Catalog and the Ram’s Eye View.
71 | P a g e
Violations of Academic Integrity Violations of the Academic Integrity standards of West Chester University fall into six broadly defined categories listed below. More detailed and specific examples are provided in the Ram's Eye View and on the WCU web page for Academic Integrity.
1. Plagiarism
2. Fabrication
3. Cheating
4. Academic Misconduct
5. Facilitating Academic Dishonesty
6. Breach of Standards of Professional Ethics
TRANSFER CREDITS If you want to take courses elsewhere and transfer them to WCU, use the correct form on the registrar’s website. You may not transfer in a course that you have already failed at West Chester. If you fail a required course at West Chester, you must repeat it here until you have passed it. You cannot use this policy to raise your GPA because grades do not transfer; only courses do. Within certain limits, you should have no problem transferring courses from an accredited four- year college or university. You should also be able to easily transfer 100 or 200-level courses from a junior or community college. Upper-level courses (300 and 400) may only be transferred from institutions offering a baccalaureate (4-year) degree. In any case, remember that you must take at least half of the courses in your major at West Chester.
PETITIONS Under extraordinary circumstances, almost every policy can be waived. A request for a waiver is called a petition. The form is available at the Registrar and in the department office. On the form, you must state which rule you want waived and why you think it should be waived. Your typed response is your opportunity to make your case. Present your evidence concisely and convincingly. Attach all relevant documents, including a copy of your transcript (a printout from the computer is acceptable). Your advisor must make a recommendation and sign the form, as must the chair of the department or director of the program concerned, and the appropriate dean. You must ensure the form gets to the right people. The associate provost makes the final decision.
72 | P a g e
KEEPING RECORDS You should start a file containing every written communication you receive from the University. If you pay a bill at the Bursar’s Office, keep the receipt just in case the payment is not properly credited to your account. Keep copies of your course syllabi. You might transfer to another institution and the folks there will want to know what your courses covered. Maintain records of communications between you and your advisor. Your advisor and the department maintain a file on you. It is available in the department office and you may copy or review it--after signing for it (The departmental secretary is very careful about student records).
Academic Opportunities for History Majors at WCU
INTERNSHIPS An internship provides practical experience related to the field, academic credit, and, in some cases, an income. The Political Science Department offers a number of internships open to all majors. These include the Harrisburg semester in which you spend an entire semester doing relevant work in the state government. The Department of History sponsors a wide variety of internship at historic sites, historical societies, archives, museums, and in business. If you qualify, you may be able to use money from the Drayer Endowment to support your internship. See Dr. Hardy for details on departmental internships and the internship policy outlined above.
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPENSES If you are contemplating graduate work, you should take advantage of the available research opportunities. Courses such as Digital History, Oral History, and Seminar are built around research experiences. Professors also use student assistants to help them in their research. Ask about such opportunities. Get in there and dig. Make history.
STUDY ABROAD West Chester University students are eligible to study abroad through any accredited program coordinated by any U.S. university that allows students to enter their program. All of the study abroad programs available at West Chester University are open to students in the State System of Higher Education (SSHE) - these include: Bloomsburg, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, and Slippery Rock. West Chester University programs are not open to students outside of SSHE. Programs coordinated by other SSHE universities are often open to West Chester University students. See all the opportunities available here.
73 | P a g e
STUDENT EXCHANGE West Chester participates in the National Student Exchange. Under this program, you pay West Chester tuition and fees while spending a semester or a year at one of over 100 participating colleges and universities. The courses you take at the host institution are automatically transferred to West Chester. This is a great way to expand your horizons.
SUMMER COURSES An increasing number of students are opting for summer school in order to reduce their academic year workload, get courses that seem otherwise unavailable, or improve their GPA. If you are in the teacher certification program and want to graduate in four years, a session or two of summer school is in your future.
Department Awards and Scholarships
ROBERT E. DRAYER MEMORIAL AWARD This award goes to the graduating senior with the most distinguished record in History. No application is necessary because we will know who you are.
ROBERT E. DRAYER PARTIAL UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS A portion of the Scholarship Fund will be used to support up to 5 scholarships in the amount of $2,000 to be awarded each year on the basis of academic merit each year to a BA in History, BA in History with Certification, or BA in American Studies major who will be returning to West Chester as a junior or senior. The recipient is chosen by the Undergraduate Committee based on student application. Up to two need-based scholarships will reserved for student-teachers. “Merit” is defined as having the strongest academic credentials as determined by the Undergraduate Committee; “need” is determined and defined by the Office of Financial Aid. Look for announcements at the beginning of Spring.
ROBERT E. DRAYER BOOK SCHOLARSHIPS A portion of the Scholarship Fund will be used to support up to 6 scholarships in the amount of $250 to be awarded each year on the basis of academic merit each year to BA in History, BA in History with Certification, or BA in American Studies majors who will be returning to West Chester as a juniors or seniors. Up to two additional merit-based scholarships will be available for returning sophomores who have completed at least 30 credits and at least two WCU history classes. The recipient is chosen by the Undergraduate Committee based on student application. “Merit” is defined as having the strongest academic credentials as determined by the Undergraduate Committee.
74 | P a g e
HELEN TAPPER IVINS ’35 ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP This scholarship is awarded annually to an undergraduate student with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 who is in the teacher certification program. Watch for announcements regarding application procedures and due dates.
MICHAEL C. GREY AWARD This award is granted annually to the junior or senior History or American Studies major who best exemplifies the legacy of Michael Grey. Qualifications include a 2.5 GPA and extra-curricular activities, particularly those which demonstrate a concern for humanity. The recipient is chosen by the History department’s undergraduate committee based on self-nomination essays.
Extra-Curricular Opportunities
HISTORY CLUB The Department-sponsored History Club offers a variety of programs ranging from picnics to speakers to weekend trips. It is a great opportunity to get involved with other people who enjoy History. Club functions are announced in classes and posted on bulletin boards in Wayne Hall, particularly the bulletin board outside the Department office.
PHI ALPHA THETA The Department also sponsors the Nu Sigma Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the international honor society in History. It is open to students who have completed twelve or more credits of history with a grade point average of 3.1 or greater in their history courses and 3.0 overall GPA. Watch the campus newspaper and bulletin boards for announcements regarding chapter initiation and activities. If you qualify, join. If nothing else, it looks good on your resume.
Undergraduate Committee Each fall, History undergraduate students elect a student member of the Department’s undergraduate committee. The undergraduate committee is responsible for reviewing and, if appropriate, proposing changes in all undergraduate programs and courses. It also acts as the grade appeals committee for undergraduate courses. This is a great way to get involved if you want to contribute to the functioning of the Department.
Study Skills and Help
In college, you will spend relatively little time in class and will be expected to learn a great deal on your own. There is no social promotion, no one cares how much effort you put into a class, and contrary to all legends, and no professor has ever been fired for flunking too many
75 | P a g e students. Remember, West Chester had over 14,000 applications for approximately 2,000 first- year slots; there are seven students ready to take your place. We want you to succeed.
Doing History: A Guide to Writing in the History Discipline. This is a great guide to success in the study, research, and writing of history. It provides invaluable insights on good study habits, how to write a research paper or book review and how to succeed on an essay exam.
History Tutoring: If you need assistance beyond what you can get from your professor, contact the department’s Graduate Assistants in 703 Wayne Hall. They’ll be glad to tutor you in the History survey courses and can offer general assistance in upper-level History courses. They post hours on their door or you can leave them a note containing your name and telephone number and they will contact you.
Writing Center: All of us need help with our writing at one time or another. (This Handbook was written by one person and edited by the rest of the department). History professors can write and will be happy to help you with your writing, but we are not trained in teaching people how to write. The staff of the writing center has the training. If you’re having problems with writing assignments, see them. They are in Lawrence 214.
Learning Assistance and Resource Center. If you are having problems with a course other than History, the LARC located on the second floor of Lawrence Center (room 105) can provide free tutoring, success coaching, and other assistance.
For more detail on campus support services and policies, see the Ram’s Eye View.
WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE? Career-Related Resources and Information
We know you often hear the question, “What can you do with a history degree?” Our answer is, anything you want. The American Historical Association has a great resource on Careers for History Majors, and our own alumni attest to the vast array of professions possible with a history degree from WCU.
Twardowski Career Development Center The Career Center is an obvious place to start, with many resources available to explore careers that might be the right fit. Visit the CDC early and often, and take advantage of its annual job and internship fairs.
Elective Social Studies Teacher Certification: This program offers the obvious career track of teaching. Despite all the talk of a teacher shortage, there is no shortage of Social Studies teachers, at least in the Mid-Atlantic region. You can improve your possibilities by following the
76 | P a g e suggestions on the Guidance Record Sheet, using the contacts you make while student- teaching, and being willing to relocate. Relatively speaking, Pennsylvania’s population is declining. Other states are growing. Go to the growth. f you want to stay in the area, don’t be afraid to accept a long-term substitute position: That gets you into the network. Most of all, don’t despair. Half the faculty of this department faced job prospects equally as daunting. We made it and so can you.
BA: Like all liberal arts programs, the BA in history prepares you for nothing and everything. It does not prepare you for a specific career, but provides a foundation for all careers. The skills you learn in the history BA program—how to gather evidence, think critically, express ideas clearly—will serve you well whatever career you choose. The possibilities are endless. Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, majored in History. On the other end of the scale, so did former president George W. Bush. Among the careers favored by History majors are the law, journalism, public history, and government service. There are many minors that can complement your B.A, in journalism, digital humanities, museum studies, or web technology. An overview of possible careers is contained in the booklet History: But What Do I Do With It? available in the Department office. A fuller view is contained in the centerfold of this Handbook. Get out your magnifying glass and peruse it.
Graduate School A number of the careers noted above require additional training in History. As with everything else, getting into a program that is right for you requires forethought. Different careers require different degrees. Talk to your advisor about the graduate program that is right for you. Other good sources are Peterson’s Guide to Graduate Schools and the American Historical Association’s Directory of Departments of History in the United States and Canada. The latter is available in the Department office.
Masters Relevant Masters’ programs are the MEd and the MA. The MEd (Master of Education) is appropriate if you are in secondary education and want more training in pedagogy or plan to become a school administrator. The MA (Master of Arts) consists of additional course work and research experience in History. For many teachers and those in public history, it is the terminal degree. Those who aspire to the Ph.D. usually acquire an MA along the way. Nationally, a Masters requires between twenty-four and forty-six additional credits and takes about two years to complete. West Chester offers both the MEd and MA. The MEd consists of thirty-six credits while the MA takes thirty-three credits to complete. For more details on the West Chester program, see Dr. Gaydosh, the graduate coordinator. Masters degrees in archival or museum studies are also available at other universities. If you are considering a career in archive management, the Master of Library Science (MLS) is an option.
77 | P a g e
Ph.D. This is the terminal degree in History. It requires many additional credit hours of course work beyond the MA and culminates in a major research project called the dissertation, an original book-length work based on research in primary sources. A Ph.D. takes at least four years beyond the BA to complete. A Ph.D. is required if one plans to teach on the University level. In a Ph.D. program, you specialize in a specific area of History. Talk with the West Chester professor who also specializes in that area about good graduate programs. You should also use the AHA’s Directory of Departments of History to find universities that offer a Ph.D. in the area in which you want to specialize. You’ll be working closely with the professor who specializes in that area; find that person in the listing, look at what they’ve written to get a sense of what their interests really are. Write to the schools that look right for you and after you’ve gone over the material they send you, narrow your search to about five universities to which you wish to apply. Try to pick two to which you are likely to be admitted and three that are more competitive. Don’t be disheartened if you are turned down. Ph.D. programs are extraordinarily selective and you may be turned down simply because the professor under whom you wish to work already has enough students.
Personal Statement: If the application includes a personal statement, ask your advisor to read it over. Your advisor will have a good sense of the tone graduate schools are looking for.
Standardized Tests: Most graduate programs require you to submit results of standardized tests, most often the Graduate Record Examination. The GRE General Test is very similar to the SAT you took in high school.
Letters of Recommendation Whether you are seeking a scholarship, entering the job market, or going to graduate school, you may need letters of recommendation from your professors. Common sense says you should ask for letters from professors with whom you have done well. Common courtesy says you should give the professor at least four weeks’ notice. Do not wait until the last minute before the deadline. Usually you will enter their email address into an online portal and they will receive an invitation to submit the letter. Help the professor personalize the letter by providing a list of courses you took with her or him as well as a copy of your resume. If possible, talk with the professor about your plans. Reference forms usually allow you to waive your right to see the letter. All of this assures the admissions committee or prospective employer that you have neither written nor read the letter and, therefore, enhances its veracity. Candidly, a letter the candidate may read is not worth the paper it’s written on.
78 | P a g e